After spending the past 340 days on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Kornienko finally returned to Earth following the landing of their spacecraft in Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
Kelly and Kornienko boarded a Russian Soyuz capsule where they were joined by Russian cosmonaut and fellow ISS crew member Sergey Volkov. The three men departed from the orbital facility on Tuesday at 8:02 p.m. Eastern.
"Thanks for following our year in space. The journey isn't over," Kelly wrote on Twitter just before they made their flight back to Earth.
"Follow me as I rediscover Earth! See you down below!"
The three spacemen were able to make a touchdown in Kazakhstan at about 11:26 p.m. Eastern. A part of their spaceflight back to Earth was covered through live streaming.
#Thanks for following our #YearInSpace The journey isn't over. Follow me as I rediscover #Earth! See you down below! pic.twitter.com/7byNy6fMG4
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) March 1, 2016
Kelly, who was wearing a white, bulky spacesuit, was shown smiling and pumping his fist in the air while he was making his way out of the spacecraft.
The American astronaut and former U.S. Navy captain is set to make his return flight to the United States and is expected to arrive in Houston on Wednesday evening. Several government officials will be there to greet the space hero, including his twin brother and fellow NASA astronaut, Mark Kelly, and Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden.
Researchers will examine Kelly's health to find out if he has suffered any effects during his extended stay in space. This will allow them to advance their studies on the impact of space travel, which will be helpful in preparing for manned space missions to Mars. Kelly's brother, Mark, will also be analyzed as part of the study.
Fans looking forward to hearing Kelly's experiences onboard the ISS will have to wait a little longer as the returning astronaut won't be able to address members of the media until Friday afternoon.
.@StationCDRKelly happy to be back on Earth after completing his #YearInSpace mission on @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/aPC9GM376S — NASA (@NASA) March 2, 2016
NASA researchers will help answer questions about the space mission through Reddit on Friday morning, and the space agency will conduct a press conference in the afternoon as well to discuss the findings of the scientists.
During their almost year-long stay on the ISS, Kelly and Kornienko took part in several medical studies and experiments designed to find out more information on the impacts of high radiation and weightlessness in space on human health.
