9 amazing photos from Scott Kelly, the first American astronaut to live nearly a year in space

American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian astronaut Mikhail Kornienko returned to Earth yesterday, after spending nearly a year living on the International Space Station.

Kelly and Kornienko spent 340 days in space as part of an effort to understand how the human body deals with microgravity in long durations. It was part of a larger project to eventually send someone to Mars.

Among many things learned and researched over the course of this historic space expedition, Kelly used Twitter to let in us Earthlings on breathtaking views throughout his trip.

In honor of his safe return, here are nine photographs he posted since embarking on his spaceflight, which began on March 27, 2015:

1) May 5, 2015

Scott Kelly: "Space taco w rehydrated eggs, sausage & hot sauce on a tortilla. Happy #CincoDeMayo from @Space_Station #YearInSpace"

Scott Kelly/Twitter

2) June 22, 2015

Scott Kelly: "Day 87. The red curtain of an #aurora closes on another day. Good night from @space_station! #YearInSpace"

Scott Kelly/Twitter

3) July 9, 2015

Scott Kelly: "Keeping my feet grounded to Earth. Good morning from @space_station! #YearInSpace"

Scott Kelly/Twitter

4) July 24, 2015

Scott Kelly: "Day 119. Starry night over Eastern Mediterranean lights. Good night from @space_station! #YearInSpace"

Scott Kelly/Twitter

5) August 15, 2015

Scott Kelly: "Another pass through #Aurora. The sun is very active today, apparently. #YearInSpace"

Scott Kelly/Twitter

6) August 29, 2015

Scott Kelly: "My colleague @Astro_Kimiya took this photo of the eye of this Eastern Pacific typhoon. Impressive! #YearInSpace."

Scott Kelly/Twitter

7) September 28, 2015

Scott Kelly: "She didn't want to go at first, but one orbit later she said goodbye. #HTV5 you served us well. #YearInSpace"

Scott Kelly/Twitter

8) October 19, 2015

Scott Kelly: "Day 206. Starry night. #GoodNight from @space_station! #YearInSpace"

Scott Kelly/Twitter

9) March 2, 2016

A reminder that not everyone has to spend a year in space to watch an epic sunset – Earth has some good views too.

You can see all of Kelly's photos here.

Explanatory journalism is a public good

At Vox, we believe that everyone deserves access to information that helps them understand and shape the world they live in. That's why we keep our work free. Support our mission and help keep Vox free for all by making a financial contribution to Vox today.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$95/year

$120/year

$250/year

$350/year

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $120/year

Yes, I'll give $120/year

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via