The hardest thing human beings have ever done

Woke up this morning thinking about a PBS program I watched before bed last night. View show here.

Scott Kelly returned to Earth from the International Space Station March 1 after 340 days as part of NASA's ambitious yearlong space station mission. 

(Image: © NASA)

Sorry, but this is coming out in bits n pieces.

Scott Kelly is a former NASA astronaut who is best known for spending nearly a year on the International Space Station and for spending 520 days in space, which puts him on the list of Americans who have spent the most time in space. (The current record-holder is Peggy Whitson, at 665 days.)

He did two long-duration space station missions and two shorter-duration space shuttle missions between 1999 and 2015. Kelly is the twin brother of Mark Kelly, who also was a NASA astronaut.

Kelly's scientific goal during the one-year mission was to better understand how the human body adapts to lengthy periods in space. Most ISS missions are only five to six months in length. While longer missions of approximately a year (in one case more than 400 days) took place on the Mir space station in the 1990s, modern medicine has made it easier to measure changes in the genes.

Kelly and Russian colleague Mikhail Kornienko both spent 340 consecutive days on the ISS tracking how their bodies changed. Kelly also did a "twin study" with his brother to see if there are any genetic changes from spending long periods of time in space.

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From ABC:

After more than 300 days in constant micro-gravity, U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly is confident human travel to Mars is “clearly doable.”

“I think what we've done in space proves we can overcome challenges,” Commander Kelly told ABC News’ David Kerley from aboard the International Space Station. “It’s something that I hope to see in my lifetime,” Kelly commented about travel to Mars.

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Scott Kelly, twin brother of Mark, mentioned this was the hardest thing human beings have ever done. 

Lemme repeat dat. This was the hardest thing that the smartest people on earth have ever done and it proves we can do anything when we put out mind to it.

Space scientists said we will most likely must change our genetic codes to make sure we can live or travel to deep space.

Sayonara, my friends!