American hero Scott Kelly returns home from historic space mission

Astronaut Scott Kelly has concluded the longest U.S. space mission in history.

NASA and Russian mission control announced American astronaut Scott Kelly has arrived from his historic 340-day space mission.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - After spending a record 340 days on the International Space Station, American Astronaut Scott Kelly announced he is already looking forward to his next visit.

"I could go for another 100 days or 100 years," he told the world from his last spacial briefing.

As soon as Kelly landed alongside Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Konienko and Sergey Volkov, the trio was immediately sent to perform field tests.

The nearly year-long mission was meant to provide important data concerning the effects of space on the human body. How did the time in space affect vision, bones and muscle? The results would better prepare scientists to adjust the training and technology required to send manned missions to Mars.

The several physical and mental tests included DNA testing to see how space radiation affected humans. The effects of long periods of near-isolation and how to prevent muscle loss without gravity are among the top concerns NASA has with space travel.

Kelly's twin brother, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, was also subjected to extensive and ongoing testing to help NASA better understand how space can change humans.

On Monday, Kelly recalled, "A really smart person said to me one time, 'Teamwork makes the teamwork in spaceflight,' and spaceflight is the biggest team sport there is."

He went on to acknowledge the other Russian, European and Japanese astronauts who encountered Kornienko and himself during his time in space.

"It's incredibly important that we all work together to make what is seemingly impossible, possible," Kelly added.

Before sending a manned mission to Mars, NASA plans to initiate more year-long missions before the Mars expeditions, which are currently set to begin in the 2030s.

One round trip from Earth to Mars and back would take two-and-a-half-years, prompting NASA to focus on how to prepare its teams.

In the meantime, Kelly admitted he understood this would most likely be his final space journey and called his return "a little bittersweet."

When asked how he felt being back on Earth, Kelly responded, "Physically, I feel pretty good. The hardest part is being isolated in a physical sense from people on the ground that are important to you."

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