NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is getting comfortable on the International Space Station, a satellite more than 200 miles above Earth where he will be spending the next year.
Kelly, alongside Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka, launched to the ISS on March 27.
Just over a week later, he tweeted this breathtaking view from his new home on Saturday:
Good morning #Texas from the #ISS. Looks like #Houston and #Austin have some #weather headed your way. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/boDVsCY9vX— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) April 4, 2015
Kelly is at the very beginning of a yearlong mission during which he'll break the U.S. record for most cumulative time in space, and participate in a groundbreaking study on the effects of space on the human body.
Both he and his identical twin brother Mark Kelly, who is a retired astronaut, will undergo close monitoring throughout the year. While Scott is on the ISS, though, Mark will remain firmly on Earth.
#FF to my twin brother @StationCDRKelly, who’s spending a #YearInSpace and isn’t bad at tweeting, either. pic.twitter.com/mDZ3j0HstN— Mark Kelly (@ShuttleCDRKelly) April 3, 2015
The monitoring will enable scientists to gain a better understanding of the effects that longterm space stays have on the human body. Both men will undergo comparative genetic tests during the 400 experiments that are planned for them.
The pair have been tweeting about the experience, providing further insight into the nature of the study. Earlier this week, Scott tweeted a photo of his new home to First Lady Michelle Obama.
.@FLOTUS Thank you. Made it! Moving into crew quarters on @space_station to begin my #yearinspace. pic.twitter.com/jhoj7ltaV6— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) March 30, 2015
The study could help NASA prepare for longterm deep-space exploration and even an eventual mission to Mars.
What's more, Scott Kelly won't be the only one breaking records. Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka will stay on board the ISS for six months. At the end of the mission, he will be the new record holder for most cumulative time spent in space by any human.