NASA’s Scott Kelly, who earned his master’s degree in aviation systems from UT in 1996, will be heading to the International Space Station for a one-year mission later this spring, something that helped land him a spot as Michelle Obama’s guest at the State of the Union address.
Part of the reason for the length of his mission is that NASA plans to study the effects of extended space flight by comparing him to his twin brother and fellow astronaut Mark, who will be studied on Earth while Kelly is in space.
That unique aspect of the mission made Kelly a Time Magazine cover star, led to a feature story and video on CNN, and a feature story from CBS News.
Interestingly, one of the astronauts Kelly will relieve at the space station is fellow UT alum Barry Wilmore. By the time Kelly’s mission draws to a close, UT will have had an astronaut in space 18 consecutive months.