by Scott Kelly
My ex-wife, Leslie, lent her willing support, accepting the role of a full-time single parent, ensuring our daughters were safe and cared for back on Earth each time I went to work off the planet. Thank you.
Writing a book is a team effort as well. This is my first experience writing a book, but it was also the first time my collaborator Margaret worked on someone else’s book. Despite this, the experience couldn’t have been an easier collaborative effort. From the beginning, Margaret showed herself as trustworthy in not only maintaining confidentiality but also by allowing me to open myself and explore my own emotions, which helped bring these personal stories to life. Thanks, Margaret, for helping me through this process and thanks for your friendship.
Our editor, Jonathan Segal, was also critical to the process and final product. Thank you, Jonathan. I also need to thank my literary agent, Elyse Cheney, for not only inking this deal with the publisher but also for being a mentor and friend.
My flight surgeon, Dr. Steve Gilmore, deserves a special recognition for taking care of my health in space and on Earth for many years and for providing critical insight to much of the medically related content.
I have to thank some of the people who offered their perspectives on the experiences I describe and allowed me to tell their stories. Many people helped by filling in details, offering input on drafts of the book, and helping out in other ways big and small. Thank you to Bill Babis, Chris Bergin, Dr. Steve Blackwell, Beth Christman, Paul Conigliaro, Samantha Cristoforetti, Dr. Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Tilman Fertitta, Steve Frick, Dr. Bob Gibson, Marco Grob, Ana Guzman, Martha Handler, Dr. Elena Hansen, Brooke Heathman, Christopher Hebert, Giselle Hewitt, Dr. Al Holland, Akihiko Hoshide, Bill Ingalls, Omar Izquierdo, Dr. Smith Johnston, Dr. Jeff Jones, Bob Kelman, Sergey Klinkov, Nathan Koga, Mike Lammers, Dr. Kjell Lindgren, Dr. Gioia Massa, Dr. Megan McArthur, Dr. Brian Miles, Rob Navias, Dr. James Picano, Dr. Julie Robinson, Jerry Ross, Tom Santangelo, Daria Shcherbakova, Kirk Shireman, Scott Stover, Jerry Tarnoff, Robert Tijerina, Terry Virts, Sergey Volkov, Dr. Shannon Walker, Dr. Liz Warren, Doug Wheelock, and Dr. Dave Williams.
And finally, I have to thank Tom Wolfe for his early inspiration. I truly believe if I had not read The Right Stuff as an eighteen-year-old, I would not have written this book or had the privilege of flying in space.
ILLUSTRATION CREDITS
Nathan Koga 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8: NASA; 3 and 4: NASA/Scott Kelly
Illustrations
NASA 9 and 10; Scott Kelly 11 and 12, U.S. Navy 13; NASA 14; NASA 15 and 16; NASA 17 and 18; NASA 19 and 20; NASA 21 and 22; Scott Kelly 23, Stephanie Stoll/NASA 24, NASA 25; NASA/Bill Ingalls 26, NASA 27; NASA 28, NASA/Bill Ingalls 29; NASA/Bill Ingalls 30, NASA 31; NASA 32, NASA/Bill Ingalls 33; NASA/Bill Ingalls 34 and 35; NASA/Bill Ingalls 36, NASA 37; NASA 38 and 39; Scott Kelly/NASA 40, NASA 41; NASA 42, NASA/Scott Kelly 43; NASA 44, NASA/Scott Kelly 45; NASA/Scott Kelly 46, NASA 47; NASA/Scott Kelly 48 and 49; NASA/Scott Kelly 50 and 51; NASA/Bill Ingalls 52 and 53; NASA/Bill Ingalls 54; NASA 55
A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHORS
SCOTT KELLY is a former military fighter pilot and test pilot, an engineer, a retired astronaut, and a retired U.S. Navy captain. A veteran of four spaceflights, Kelly commanded the International Space Station (ISS) on three expeditions and was a member of the yearlong mission to the ISS. During the Year in Space mission, he set records for the total accumulated number of days spent in space and for the single longest space mission by an American astronaut. He lives in Houston, Texas.
MARGARET LAZARUS DEAN is the author of The Time It Takes to Fall and Leaving Orbit. She is an associate professor at the University of Tennessee and lives in Knoxville.
The International Space Station (ISS) with its giant solar arrays appearing to cut through the blackness of space as the moon beckons in the background Credit 9
The ISS seen with Earth below Credit 10
Mark, left, and me circa 1967 in our yard on Mitchell Street, West Orange, New Jersey Credit 11
My father is holding the Bible as my mother is sworn in as the first female police officer in West Orange, August 1979. Credit 12
My Radio Intercept Officer, Bill “Smoke” Mnich, and me flying an F-14 Tomcat in 1995. My years as a test pilot preceded my years as an astronaut. Credit 13
My astronaut class photo, 1996. We were known as the Sardines. We were all from the U.S. unless otherwise indicated below. From left to right and back to front: Christer Fuglesang (Sweden), John Herrington, Steve MacLean (Canada), Peggy Whitson, Steve Frick, Duane Carey, Dan Tani, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Jeff Williams, Don Pettit, Philippe Perrin (France), Dan Burbank, Mike Massimino, Lee Morin, Piers Sellers (deceased), John Phillips, Rick Mastracchio, Christopher Loria, Paul Lockhart, Charlie Hobaugh, Willie McCool (deceased), Pedro Duque (Spain), Soichi Noguchi (Japan), Mamoru Mohri (Japan), Gerhard Thiele (Germany), Mark Polansky, Sandy Magnus, Paul Richards, Yvonne Cagle, Jim Kelly, Pat Forrester, Dave Brown (deceased), Umberto Guidoni (Italy), Mike Fincke, Stephanie Wilson, Julie Payette (Canada), Lisa Nowak, Frank Caldeiro (deceased), Mark, Laurel Clark (deceased), Rex Walheim, me, Joan Higginbotham, and Charlie Camarda Credit 14
My space shuttle Discovery crew, headed to the launchpad for my first spaceflight. From left to right, front to back: me, Curt Brown, John Grunsfeld, Jean-François Clervoy (France), Mike Foale, Claude Nicollier (Switzerland), and Steve Smith Credit 15
Lifting off in Discovery, December 1999 Credit 16
On my first mission to space, we repaired the Hubble Space Telescope and sent it on its way to continue the exploration of the universe, Christmas Day, 1999. Credit 17
Left to right: me, Dima Kondratyev, and Sasha Kaleri awaiting water survival training on the deck of a Russian naval vessel in the Black Sea, September 11, 2001. I learned of the disaster when the ship returned to port. Credit 18
Donning my harness prior to entering space shuttle Endeavour as the commander of STS-118, August 2007 Credit 19
My STS-118 crew and the crew of the space station in the U.S. laboratory module. From left to right and front to back: Clay Anderson, Fyodor Yurchikhin (Russia), Oleg Kotov (Russia), Al Drew, Barbara Morgan, Dave Williams (Canada), me, Charlie Hobaugh, Rick Mastracchio, and Tracy Caldwell Credit 20
Shannon Walker, Doug Wheelock, and Fyodor checking out their spacesuits prior to returning to Earth from Expedition 25, my first long-duration flight on the ISS, November 2010 Credit 21
Hanging out of our crew quarters in Node 2 of the ISS. From left: Doug, me on the “ceiling,” Shannon, and Oleg in the “floor” Credit 22
My daughters, Samantha, top, and Charlotte, in Red Square, Moscow, in the summer of 2008 Credit 23
My partner, Amiko, and me in Red Square Credit 24
In my Star City, Russia, cottage in February 2015, studying for my final exams before launching to the ISS to spend a year in space Credit 25
Reflecting on my pending yearlong space mission from inside a Soyuz simulator at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center outside of Moscow Credit 26
With my Russian cosmonaut crewmates Mikhail (Misha) Kornienko, center, and Gennady Padalka, being interviewed by the media in front of the Lenin statue in Star City, a few days before our departure for Baikonur, Kazakhstan, site of the launch Credit 27
With Gennady, center, and Misha a few days prior to launch. In the background, the “high desert” of Kazakhstan Credit 28
Our Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft rolls out by train to the historic launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Credit 29
Russian Orthodox priest Father Job blesses the Soyuz rocket that will take us to the ISS. Credit 30
Gennady is on my left, and Misha is on his left, as we share our last traditional Russian breakfast with our backup crew before the flight. Credit 31
I chat with Gennady as we wait for final pressure checks of our Sokol suits. Credit 32
My crewmates and I talk to the media as our families look on from behind a glass window while we’re in quarantine prior to heading to the l
aunchpad. Credit 33
On our way to board a bus that will take us to the launchpad Credit 34
We wave good-bye to friends and planet Earth as we board our Soyuz spacecraft before launch. Credit 35
Our Soyuz spacecraft lifts off toward space and the ISS on March 28, 2015. Credit 36
While flying about 250 miles above Earth, we used our station’s robotic arm to capture SpaceX’s Dragon cargo craft filled with experiments and supplies for our crew. Credit 37
On the ISS with my crewmates Anton Shkaplerov, left, Samantha Cristoforetti, center, and Terry Virts, celebrating Samantha’s birthday Credit 38
With Kjell Lindgren, right, as we work outside the ISS to restore the port truss ammonia cooling system to its original configuration on our second spacewalk, which lasted seven hours and forty-eight minutes. Credit 39
My feet get in the way as I admire the unmistakable blue waters of the Bahamas from the Cupola aboard the ISS. Credit 40
Misha and Gennady help me perform the Fluid Shifts experiment in the Russian service module. Credit 41
My phony juggling act: the fruit had been sent to the ISS on the Japanese HTV resupply vehicle. Credit 42
Quiet time in the Cupola Credit 43
Samantha storing her science samples in one of three -98°F freezers in the Japanese module Credit 44
One of the incredible auroras we sometimes flew through Credit 45
The most powerful hurricane ever recorded, Patricia, as it approached the western coast of Mexico, October 23, 2015 Credit 46
Kjell in the U.S. laboratory module demonstrating the joys of living in zero gravity Credit 47
One of my favorite places on Earth, New York City Credit 48
One of my favorite places to admire off Earth, our Milky Way galaxy Credit 49
Pollution from the Indian subcontinent as it butts up against the Himalayas Credit 50
Sunrise aboard the ISS Credit 51
After the parachute opens we drift peacefully down to Earth, our time on the ISS over. Credit 52
Our Soyuz spacecraft as it crashes back onto Earth on March 2, 2016 Credit 53
I’m being helped out of the capsule but am feeling triumphant. Credit 54
Mark and me after my year in space. Not bad for two kids from New Jersey. Credit 55
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