An Astronaut Hits the Ground

After falling continuously for an entire year, Scott Kelly is ready to hit the ground.  With the goal of studying the long-term effects of microgravity on humans, his year is space has been something to keep an eye on.  Always in good spirits, he is probably excited to come home, albeit apprehensive due to the dangers of returning to gravity after such a long time.  Next Tuesday, March 1st, he will experience significant forces once again as he undocks from the ISS and is ferried home by the Soyuz capsule. Like wearing a weighted suit, coming home will be an...

One Year Mission on the ISS Begins!

When Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield was in space, on the International Space Station (ISS), he stayed there for six months, the standard length of stay for an astronaut.  On the ISS, three of the six-person crew are replaced every three months.  After returning to Earth, Hadfield could barely walk.  He had lost bone density and muscle mass, his immune system weakened, cardiovascular functions slowed, and he produced less red blood cells.  The lack of gravity is bad for humans,  The longest a human being has ever been in space was Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who was in space for a staggering...