US Senate honors astronaut Scott Kelly on record-breaking ISS mission

Scott Kelly’s record-breaking ISS Mission has been applauded by people from all the sectors. Adding to the list were the members of the U.S. Senate, who have passed a resolution to honor astronaut Scott Kelly for his record-breaking stay in space. The latest Senators to honor Kelly were Cory Booker and Robert Menendez of New Jersey. They became the latest among the public officials to honor Kelly. Kelly, who comes from West Orange in Essex County, was lauded by the senators for his 340-day stay at the International Space Station. His stay in the space station was a world record.

Resolution in honor of Kelly’s successful landing

The resolution was passed by Senator Cory Booker, who sits on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee that oversees NASA. The resolution was filed on March 1 just a few hours before the celebrated American astronaut closed the hatch on the ISS and embarked on his voyage back home. Kelly successfully and safely landed in Kazakhstan. He then returned to the U.S. the next day and received a warm welcome. In his honor, the Senate passed the resolution on Wednesday. The resolution also highlighted Kelly’s safe return.

His arrival was indeed a proud moment for the whole state and highlighted the state’s contribution in the name of science and exploration. “It’s important that we, as a nation, stand up and recognize greatness in order to inspire youngsters and future generations of what is possible when we push ourselves to excel,” said Senator Menendez.

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The brothers’ contribution to science gets acknowledged

The time spent by Kelly in space was a part of the space agency’s plan that focused on taking humans to the planet Mars by the 2030s. It was also focused on proving how the existence of micro-gravity environments and space conditions affect astronauts’ physical and metal conditions. The test conducted by Kelly led to some interesting results. They are now being compared to the results of his twin, Mark Kelly. They will also lend an insight about the extreme effects of weightlessness on the body and will be based on the data collected by the twins. The stint by Kelly with cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko is the longest among humans since 1999.

Due to such a long stint, Kelly is currently dealing with a range of aftereffects like sore muscles, joint pains, and skin issues, which he deemed unexpected and different from those from his previous space missions. Due to the extensiveness of his issues, he will undergo medical tests for an entire year. “If you’re flying to Mars and can’t read your fellow astronauts’ facial expressions, that could lead to conflicts,” said Professor Mathias Basner, from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kelly and his twin brother have been associated with NASA since they joined NASA’s Astronaut Group 16 in 1996. Before leaving for his record-setting trip, the 52-year-old former space shuttle commander spent more than 180 days in space through three separate flights. The resolution was co-sponsored by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).

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