posted 03-11-2016 04:30 PM               

Astronaut Scott Kelly to retire from NASA after record year in space

Astronaut Scott Kelly will retire from NASA on April 1, a month after he returned from spending nearly a year in space, the agency announced Friday (March 11).

Kelly, who currently holds the American record for the most time spent off the planet, flew four missions, logging a total of more than 520 days in space.

His most recent flight, a year-long stay on the International Space Station, ended on March 1 after 340 days on orbit.

"This year-in-space mission was a profound challenge for all involved, and it gave me a unique perspective and a lot of time to reflect on what my next step should be on our continued journey to help further our capabilities in space and on Earth," Kelly said in a statement released Friday.

posted 03-13-2016 10:18 AM               

The astronaut corps loses a lot with Scott's departure. Perhaps most — our last remaining Shuttle CDR.

posted 03-18-2016 08:07 AM               

The astronaut said he doesn't have a full-time job lined up yet despite plenty of offers. He'll have more flexibility to pursue goals, he said, once he's no longer a civil servant after April 1. But he'll still be available for NASA debriefings and medical tests.

"NASA will only have to pay me $10 an hour instead of $70 an hour, so they're getting a good deal," Kelly said. "This just allows me to meet my NASA responsibilities, but do other things."

Speaking by phone Wednesday from Houston — where he plans to stay put at least for now — Kelly said he doubts his bosses at Johnson Space Center were surprised when he informed them last week that he would be leaving. After four missions, he hadn't expected to fly again for NASA.

"I even told my bosses that I'd love to work as a part-timer," Kelly said, perhaps as a contractor flying NASA planes. "I would love to stay as involved with human spaceflight as I can. I'm a huge believer in it."

...like his brother, Scott Kelly has signed on with a speakers bureau. He's already booked as keynote speaker at a credit union conference at Walt Disney World in April.

"I'll certainly do a lot of public speaking and talk about the space program," he said.

posted 04-06-2016 02:04 AM               

Year-in-space astronaut Scott Kelly named Breitling watches ambassador

An astronaut who set a record for time in space has now signed on to represent the brand of luxury watches that helped track his 8,168 hours and 42 minutes circling the Earth.

Scott Kelly, who in March completed an almost year-long mission aboard the International Space Station – a first for a U.S. astronaut – was announced on Tuesday (April 5) as the new ambassador for Breitling, the Swiss manufacturer that made two of the timepieces he wore while in orbit.

"If you look at Scott's impressive career in space, you can't help but respect the longevity and duration of time he has spent in space," said Thierry Prissert, president of Breitling USA, in a statement.

posted 11-22-2016 04:54 AM               

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs announces former astronaut Scott Kelly as Champion for Space

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) announced today the appointment of Scott Kelly as United Nations Champion for Space. Ms. Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of UNOOSA, and Mr. Kelly formally signed a letter of designation during the UNOOSA-led High Level Forum on "Space as a Driver for Socio-economic Sustainable Development" in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

As Champion for Space, Mr. Kelly will help UNOOSA promote space as a tool for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, as well as raise awareness of UNOOSA's activities, such as the forthcoming UNISPACE+50 event in June 2018. UNISPACE+50 will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and be an opportunity for the international community to set the future course of global space cooperation and governance.

"We are thrilled and honoured to have Mr. Kelly's support as United Nations Champion for Space. In this role, Mr. Kelly will combine his demonstrated passion for making our world a better place with his expertise and experience in space. I look forward to working with Mr. Kelly to bring global attention to the important role that space can play in sustainable development," said Ms. Di Pippo.

"Space lends a unique perspective of our world. When looking out at Earth from space, you don't see boundaries. Instead, you see one planet we all belong to. Having lived in space with 40 people from 10 different countries, I learned the incredible value of what we can achieve by working together. Our joint global efforts in space transcend national borders and make the world on which we live better for everyone," said Mr. Kelly.

Mr. Kelly is a former NASA astronaut who holds the record for the most cumulative number of days spent in space by an American astronaut. He is known for his "year in space", during which he and NASA partnered with UNOOSA on the #whyspacematters campaign to call attention to the role space-based science technology and its applications can play in sustainable development.

The Champion for Space role is based on the United Nations Messengers of Peace model, whereby distinguished individuals agree to help focus worldwide attention on the work of the United Nations.

Mr. Kelly's term as Champion for Space will be for an initial period of two years.

posted 07-19-2018 10:23 AM               

Amiko Kauderer and I are happily married! We were very honored to have Mayor Sylvester Turner officiate our wedding here in our hometown Houston, Texas overlooking Discovery Green last weekend. We'll be sharing more from our weekend wedding and what's next for us soon!