Scott Kelly Back On Earth After Year In Space

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly punched the air as he arrived back on Earth after nearly a year on the International Space Station.

He touched down in a bitterly-cold Kazakhstan along with his roommate for the past year, Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko.

A second Russian cosmonaut, Sergei Volkov, also landed after more than five months at the ISS and was met by his father, retired cosmonaut Aleksandr Volkov.

Commander Kelly, 52, flashed a peace sign as he climbed out of the capsule, experiencing gravity and breathing fresh air for the first time since early 2015.

The trio are now undergoing routine medical tests.

Before leaving the ISS, Cdr Kelly posted a final picture from the craft on Twitter, with the message: "Rise and shine! My last sunrise from space then I gotta go!"

His 340 consecutive days in space sets a US record - but falls short of the world record of 438 days set by Valeri Polyakov, a Russian physician, in the 1990s.

During his year in space, Commander Kelly has done everything from science experiments to spacewalks.
He described his time in space as like "camping in the woods", saying it is a "harsh environment" that your body never truly gets used to.

Cdr Kelly's extended time aboard the ISS allowed NASA to study the long-term effects of space travel using a comparison between his development and that of his twin brother Mark on Earth.

The former fighter pilot said he is most looking forward to having a meal at a table with his friends and family, and can't wait to jump into a pool.

Cdr Kelly's role was taken on by NASA colleague Tim Kopra, following a change of command ceremony.

More than 200 people form 15 different countries have lived and worked at the International Space Station since November 2000.