NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly triumphantly made his return on the surface of the planet just this week. Together with Russian cosmonaut, Mikhail Kornienko, the pair started the long journey back to Earth in the afternoon of March 1 aboard the Russian Soyuz space capsule piloted by commander Sergey Volkov. Following 25 minutes of free-falling, the Soyuz launched its parachutes upon hitting the Earth's atmosphere. Subsequently, rockets were launched minutes before the capsule touched the ground in order to slow it down further.
Since the landing, Kelly has undergone several medical tests in order to ascertain his health following the journey. He has then spoken about his groundbreaking experience of staying a year in space.
In a press interview at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Kelly explained how much he missed being on Earth. He claimed that being aboard the International Space Station for a year seemed like an eternity.
"It seemed like I lived there forever," gushed Kelly during the press conference.
Kelly has also revealed that he feels very different in touching down this time as opposed to all the other times he has been to space. He claimed that the lengthy mission has caused him more fatigue and muscle soreness.
"I'm kind of surprised how I do feel different physically than the last time, with regards to muscle soreness and joint pain. That was something that was kind of unexpected," explained Kelly.
During the interview, the astronaut also explained some of the daunting things he has observed in his stint in space. Kelly states that from afar the Earth looks very fragile. Pollution over most parts of Asia is very prevalent and the California fires during the summer were extensive.
"The predominant thing is you just notice how thin the atmosphere is, how fragile it looks" Claimed the astronaut.