Astronaut to return with concerns for Earth

    Kelly, along with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, has spent a year at the International Space Station as part of a research project that is studying the effects of spaceflight on humans. They are scheduled to return March 1.
    During Kelly's time aboard the space station, he and other astronauts have taken stunning photos of the Earth, shared on social media. But during a final press conference Feb. 25 at the station, Kelly spoke of pollution in the atmosphere.
    “There are definitely areas where the Earth is covered with pollution all the time,” he said, “and you know it is not good for any of us. There were weather systems that I’ve seen while I was up here that were in places that were unexpected -- storms … bigger than we’ve seen in the past.”
     From space, he said, “you can tell that is not a naturally occurring phenomenon. It’s not clouds you are looking at. It is just a blanket of constant pollution."    
     Kelly has been to space four times for a total of more than 500 days. This latest stay has been just short of a year. He was specifically tapped for this assignment because he has an identical twin, Mark Kelly, a former astronaut. Researchers will be able to compare the health of the two brothers. Test will show how a year in space affects vision, physical performance, the ability to handle functional tasks, behavioral health, human factors, and metabolic and microbial development.
     The ultimate goal is preparing humans for deep space travel. But the first part of that involves getting to Mars.
     During the press conference, Kelly floated about the wiry bowels of the station and patiently answered questions about his health. He feels good, he said.  “The space station is a magical place. It’s an incredible science facility.”
     But then he added, “It’s somewhat of a harsh environment. You never, even after I’ve been here a year, you don’t feel perfectly normal. There’s always a lingering something you feel. It’s just not normal. It’s not necessarily uncomfortable, but it is a harsh environment, for instance, having no running water. It’s kind of like I’ve been in the woods camping for a year with regards to hygiene.”  
     Conditions will be more difficult on a trip to Mars, he said. “You are not going to have this much space, obviously. You’re going to be in much tighter quarters. You are going to live, you are going to use the restroom, you are going to exercise, all within a few square meters of one another. It’s not going to be like the science fiction spaceship going to Mars.”

    Related: 

     In brief: Space station crew at halfway point

     What will we learn from a year in space?

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