Having Set the Record for Most Time in Space, Scott Kelly Is Leaving NASA

Having logged almost a full year in space—340 days, more than any astronaut has even spent in space for a single stretch—astronaut Scott Kelly is leaving NASA.

He’ll stay through the end of the month before retiring, NASA announced. Following his almost-year long mission in space, Kelly currently holds the record for most time spent in space by any one person: a total of 520 days. However, that record is set to be beat by astronaut Jeff Williams, who is headed up to the space station next week; by the end of his mission, he’ll have logged a total of 534 days in space.

Kelly’s time on the ISS was notable not just for its sheer length, but also for what it taught us about the effects of space-flight on the human body over the course of a year, and for the various scientific experiments Kelly worked on during his space year. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of that year for most of us, though, is the incredible photos Kelly sent back of the views he saw of earth. You can look back on some of our favorites (and try to guess what they are) right here.

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