
What does it feel like to blast off from Earth in a rocket, knowing that you will not see your family, feel the wind on your face, or taste fresh-cooked food for a whole year?
Scott Kelly, the first NASA astronaut to spend close to a year on the International Space Station (ISS), describes how strange it was in Endurance, his new book. But he emphasizes the scientific benefits of his marathon space voyage. By comparing Kelly with his earthbound twin brother Mark, scientists were able to gather priceless information about the psychological and physiological effects of long-term space travel—information that will be crucial if we ever make the journey to Mars. [Read an excerpt from Kelly’s memoir of spending a year in space.]
When National Geographic caught up with Kelly by phone in Las Vegas, he explained how a chance encounter with a book set him on his course to the stars, why he believes we are already capable of traveling to Mars, and how he coped in space after hearing the news that his twin brother’s wife, Gabby Giffords, had been shot. [See photos of Kelly’s triumphant return to Earth.]
There’s an amazing moment in your book, Scott, when you lose your orientation in the dark during a spacewalk. Put us inside that moment and describe how it felt.