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An Awe-Inspiring Look Back On Scott Kelly's Historic Space Mission

Author:

Emma Loewe

March 06, 2016

By Emma Loewe

mbg Contributor

Emma Loewe is the former Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen. She is the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us" and the co-author of "The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care." Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,500 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes.

March 06, 2016

Earlier this week, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly touched down after 340 days in space.

The first American to spend a nearly a year in orbit, Kelly extensively researched "how the human body adjusts to weightlessness, isolation, radiation and the stress of long-duration spaceflight"—information that will help put humans on Mars. And he used his Instagram to give the world below a glimpse into his zero-gravity journey.

Kelly's photos are stunning portrayals of Earth's diverse natural landscapes and they serve as poignant reminders of our shared responsibility to protect the planet.

Now that he's back home eating fresh veggies and chatting with President Obama, Kelly's 'grams are a little less #mindblowing, but we can still look back on these out-of-this-world portrayals of his historic expedition. May they inspire you to view your own surroundings under a new lens.