(Breaking): Astronaut begins U.S. history-making mission (a year in space)

[Cooley Hurd]

Last edited Fri Mar 27, 2015, 07:14 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: CNN

(CNN)NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has started a trip to the record books.

He plans to spend 342 days on the International Space Station -- the longest stretch of time any U.S. astronaut has spent in space.

Kelly lifted off Friday aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket that launched from Kazakhstan. The rocket is expected to dock at the ISS about 9:36 p.m. ET, with hatches between the Soyuz and the space station opening at about 11:15 p.m. ET, NASA said.

Kelly will stay twice as long as any U.S. astronaut has ever stayed on the space station, giving scientists a chance to study how the human body responds to long-duration space flights. On Earth, scientists will perform parallel studies on Scott Kelly's identical twin brother, retired astronaut Mark Kelly.

"It's a lot of fun," Kelly said at a media briefing in January. "Space station is a magical place."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/26/us/nasa-one-year-mission-scott-kelly/index.html

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God speed, Scott and Mark!!!

[underpants]

1. Whew, that's a long stretch

Good luck

[Cooley Hurd]

3. He's the dude to do it!

The Kelly's (Mark and Scott) are a dynamic duo!

[bananas]

9. A Russian cosmonaut launched with Kelly and will also spend the year in space

http://news.yahoo.com/russian-soyuz-spacecraft-russian-us-astronauts-blasts-off-200655593.html

Soyuz spacecraft with Russian, US astronauts blasts off to ISS
AFP
2 hours ago

Baikonur (Kazakhstan) (AFP) - A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying three crew, including a US astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut who will be the first to spend an entire year on the International Space Station, blasted off on schedule Friday, Russian mission control said.

<snip>

NASA flight engineer Scott Kelly and Russian Mikhail Kornienko will together spend a total of 342 days aboard the ISS, while the third crew member, Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, will spend the usual period of six months.

51-year-old Kelly and 54-year-old Kornienko will take part in the extended mission to test the effects of long-term space missions on the human body.

The trip marks the longest amount of time that two people will live continuously at the ISS, though a handful of Russian cosmonauts spent a year to 14 months at the Russian space station Mir in the 1990s.

<snip>

[Cooley Hurd]

10. That's very cool!

[bananas]

11. The third crew member will be setting the record for longest total time in space

From the CNN article in the OP:

Two cosmonauts are riding up with Kelly: Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka. Kornienko also will stay up for a year. Padalka will only stay up for six months.

<snip>

Padalka is on schedule to set a record for the most total time in space for a human. He's already spent more than 710 days in space, including stays on Russia's Mir space station and three previous stints on the International Space Station.

[Adrahil]

12. I worked with both of them at Pax River. great guys! n/t

[truthisfreedom]

2. Long time in a tin can!

[Cooley Hurd]

4. I'd do it in a heartbeat!!

Boy, you're gonna carry that weight... 'cept in the ISS!

[byronius]

5. Awesome avatar.

Love that dude.

[Cooley Hurd]

6. Tesla was our brethren back in the day...

He was a socialist scientist who only wanted the betterment of mankind, not profit. Of course, that made him a pariah to capitalists TO THIS DAY!

[Red1]

7. Wonder If Putin

would ever shut down the taxi service?

[Cooley Hurd]

8. If he does, I'll bet NASA will fill the bill...

NASA still rocks in my book... almost 60 years on!



NASA! Fuck Yeah!

[Adrahil]

13. In a couple years, it won't matter what Ole Vlad does. n/t

[Nye Bevan]

14. Do they have internet, and is it fast enough for Netflix?

I can imagine some serious binge-watching on such a trip.

[Sunlei]

15. twin brother will be a 'health control'-who is Mark Kelly?-Gabrielle Giffords Spouse

Small world