Astronaut Scott Kelly retired last year — after spending 340 consecutive days in space. Kelly embarked on a “One Year Mission” in March 2015, a sojourn on the International Space Station, which lasted until March 1, 2016. A former U.S. Navy captain, Kelly and his identical twin brother, Mark — also a retired astronaut and U.S. Navy captain — are the only siblings to have both traveled in space. Scott Kelly will discuss his experiences and his memoir Endurance: My Year in Space and Our Journey to Mars on February 5 and 8 at the Marin Civic Center as part of the MPSF Speaker Series.
MM: Were you one of those kids who said you wanted to be an astronaut when you grew up?
SK: In an abstract way, like most kids — saying it, but not fully believing it, because I was such a poor student.
MM: If you could share one favorite detail about the experience of space flight, what would it be?
SK: The earth is incredibly beautiful from above. And, as you would expect, floating is fun but makes most things more challenging to do.
MM: What do you see for the future of space exploration?
SK: It will be what we want to make of it. Currently, I see big plans with no serious funding to back them up.
