A new book about the life of former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is scheduled to be released on Oct. 17. The new memoir, called Endurance, uncovers an astronaut's remarkable journey into space.
Endurance: A Year In Space, A Lifetime Of Discovery
Those who are curious about how it feels like to live in space and experience zero gravity will now get a chance to find out from Scott Kelly's new book, Endurance.
The book recounts the true life story of Scott Kelly's adventures, from his early childhood up to the years he spent in college where he took inspiration from a book by Tom Wolfe, called The Right Stuff. In Endurance, Kelly shares with his readers his extraordinary day-to-day experiences aboard a space station and how he managed to endure the challenges along the way and survive.
The Man Behind The Book
Scott Kelly is the first American astronaut to spend the longest time in space, having completed a total of 340 days onboard the International Space Station (ISS). His year-long mission was part of a study that aimed to investigate the long-term effects of zero gravity on human being, both mentally and physically.
He graduated from Mountain High School in 1982 and received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York Maritime College in 1987, and an M.S. degree in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee in 1996. He is an engineer, a retired U.S. Navy Captain, and now a retired astronaut who once commanded the ISS on several expeditions. His identical twin brother, Mark Kelly, was also an astronaut.
What Inspired Kelly To Become An Astronaut?
According to Kelly, when he was about 18 years of age in college, he was inspired by the work of Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff, a book based on past extensive research and interviews conducted in the 1970's. The Right Stuff was published in 1979 and was inspired by the author's desire to find out why astronauts are willing to face the dangers of space flight.
The Year-Long Journey
In the book, Kelly speaks to his readers with an open-mind, recounting past personal experiences and many different challenges he had to face during his expeditions, both the good and the bad side of the story.
He describes one incident, in which, a Russian cosmonaut almost drifted away from the space station during a spacewalk, but fortunately managed to bounce back because of an antenna. He also relates the challenges of eating, not showering, and answering the call of nature while being weightless inside a space machine that's traveling at a speed of 17,000 miles per hour.
In March 2016, Kelly heads back to Earth safely in a Russian Soyuz capsule. About a month later after his arrival, he officially retires from NASA after 20 years of service.
The book tells a story of curiosity, ambition, courage, self-discipline, and of course endurance.
