Amazing Space Photos from America’s Favorite Astronaut (and Maritime Academy Grad)

NASA Astronaut Scott J. Kelly (Captain, USN, Ret.). Photo credit: NASA

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is returning to earth later today after spending an epic year in space aboard the International Space Station.

Now you may not know this but Scott Kelly actually started his career attending the State University of New York’s Maritime College, graduating in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a United States Coast Guard Third Mate’s license. After graduation, Kelly went on to pursue a career as a naval aviator with the U.S. Navy, eventually retiring from the service in 2012. He was selected by NASA in April 1996 and made his space flight debut in 1999.

On his latest mission, which launched in March 2015, Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko spent a total of 340 days aboard ISS to help understand how the human body reacts and adapts to the harsh environment of space in order to reduce risks to crew members as NASA prepares to advance space travel beyond low Earth orbit.

With Kelly’s return to earth on Tuesday, he will have spent a total of 520 days living in space over four missions, surpassing U.S. astronaut Mike Fincke’s record (382 days) for the most days spent in space by an American.

Throughout the one-year mission, Kelly has also shared a staggering 1,000 photos on social media of earth, outer space and life in general aboard the ISS. Here are some of the highlights from the year:

Check out his entire year on his Twitter and Instagram, or using the hashtag #YearInSpace.

#Countdown We’re down to a wakeup. #Earth. I’m coming for you tomorrow! #GoodNight from @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/kLe2755XyG

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) March 1, 2016

Likely my last pic of the #moon from space. Reminded me of my friend, #GeneCernan the @lastmanonmoon! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/4YCHj6s5E9

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 28, 2016

5 days & a wake-up! Every #mountain top is within reach. Keep climbing. #GoodNight from @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/3K5wTGEfWp

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 26, 2016

I’m going to miss the colors of #Africa! #EarthArt. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/FyqIk5UFoY

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 22, 2016

More otherworldly #ColorsOfEarth https://t.co/Hcy2ehDzRG #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/4FQ9PXIjtK

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 18, 2016

#ColorsofEarth Red and purple Terra Australis. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/X8YNSsYFCI

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 16, 2016

That #polarvortex even looks cold from here! #Burr! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/LijIVyLOwW

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 14, 2016

Good afternoon #Egypt! Hope to see you up close some day. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/tNqye6i5gf

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 11, 2016

Got to see the #SuperBowl in person after all! But at 17,500MPH, it didn’t last long. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/O0DygOdX8i

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 8, 2016

#PanamaCanal once served as critical spacecraft transit. Cool to see from @space_station today! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/PBhmdBl8eK

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 2, 2016

#Patagonia is unmistakable from @Space_Station. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/pS6E4onVNw

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 30, 2016

Massive #snowstorm blanketing #EastCoast clearly visible from @Space_Station! Stay safe! #blizzard2016 #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/oq6ewYaTPQ

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 23, 2016

My one-year crewmember Misha Kornienko and I on day 300 aboard @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/qny9h29mVP

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 21, 2016

#Bahamas #EarthArt Watercolors! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/v0mtgLCRWd

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 19, 2016

Just spotted this massive iceberg in the southern Indian Ocean. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/vZpRlppo9q

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 18, 2016

First ever flower grown in space makes its debut! #SpaceFlower #zinnia #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/2uGYvwtLKr

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 16, 2016

#GobiDesert is said to be so long it would take the length of my mission to travel from end to end. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/xfP4mbul82

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 14, 2016

#EarthArt The #RedSea blues. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/iQRDoATCrv

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 13, 2016

Sad to learn of the death of musician @DavidBowieReal whose inspiration lives on “far above the world” #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/4PhrmbsTpM

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 11, 2016

Cool frozen lake in #Himalayas! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/Ly0XsrAH3n

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 9, 2016

Day 284. The Big Easy at twilight. #GoodNight from @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/7ZtebQdE5U

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 6, 2016

Aleutian island #volcano letting off a little steam after the new year. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/dABBtqcE8n

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 2, 2016

Day 273 Rare sunrise glow over #NewZealand on my 3rd #Christmas in space #GoodNight frm @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/Pa3BHYPR2i

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) December 26, 2015

Great work by the whole team yesterday and a brief moment to take a #selfie! #spacewalk #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/4XNf2fpkul

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) December 22, 2015

Moved our #Soyuz last summer & imagined chasing a #StarWars TIE fighter as we redocked @space_station. #YearInSpacehttps://t.co/DvVuN2CcKI

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) December 18, 2015

#GoodMorning to the good people of #Jeddah! The gateway to #mecca #SaudiArabia #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/sHTWV5w67u

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) December 13, 2015

Just took this stunning picture of #SouthEastAsia. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/UUqteotubU

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) December 5, 2015

Hard to imagine oceans cover 71% of our planet until we look down on our #EarthRightNow from @space_station. #COP21 pic.twitter.com/KPM2i6YL1b

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) December 3, 2015

My #YearInSpace saw the full #hurricane season of 2015 that ends today! Here’s 4 flashback pics from @space_station. pic.twitter.com/YQzgmAbUqs

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) November 30, 2015

#Dubai, #GoodEvening from @Space_Station! You’re brilliant as always. #UAE #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/3VpTgmAHC3

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) November 28, 2015

Finishing our #Thanksgiving meal. Warm wishes and #happythanksgiving from the crew of @Space_Station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/nYCrlIhaX7

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) November 26, 2015

#Bermuda out of the blue #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/7hVcwdLcDX

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) November 19, 2015

#Sinai Peninsula this morning from @space_station. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/54A8ftGuDF

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) November 2, 2015

#Halloween #EarthArt #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/giCRZdRnIl

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 31, 2015

Just caught this guy churning in the middle of the #AtlanticOcean. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/JabWvgw2ON

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 25, 2015

Hurricane #Patricia approaches #Mexico. It’s massive. Be careful! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/F5LgnjOjey

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 23, 2015

Great Scott!10/21/15! Fly cars? I live in a flying house! 17,500MPH in 1.21 Jigawatts over Hill Valley, CA #BTTF2015 pic.twitter.com/PAErx6PaQI

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 21, 2015

#EarthArt Across the Greatest Desert- #Sahara. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/1woXAb7eGN

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 17, 2015

Woke up to the #Himalayas outside our window this morning. #GoodMorning and #HappyFriday! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/1sewSaztuT

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 16, 2015

Planet Water. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/gxHVP15Y16

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 4, 2015

#HurricaneJoaquin churns over the #Bahamas with #Miami in the field of view from @Space_Station #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/ozqgIkEWhV

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 2, 2015

#frenchpolynesia you are as remote as you are beautiful! #GoodMorning from @Space_Station. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/vjEW1hpCmX

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) September 27, 2015

Feel bad for the people of #NorthKorea when I see with my own eyes they live without electricity. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/E28PWvEajV

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) September 26, 2015

Day 179. The #Nile at night is a beautiful sight for these sore eyes. Good night from @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/eAMBZ9p428

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) September 22, 2015

Day 177. #NorthernLights brought excitement in the atmosphere today. Good night from @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/pmaBlEbGty

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) September 20, 2015

The #Bahamas never fails to impress! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/VsDZMpMO4e

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) September 18, 2015

#EarthArt Half a year, still she dazzles, colors, intrigues, excites, amuses, interests and shines. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/m8eijSS8pq

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) September 16, 2015

My gift to you on #LaborDay, #USA. Enjoy! #YearInSpacehttps://t.co/hDz75wWJue

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) September 7, 2015

#GoodMorning to my alma mater @MaritimeCollege! Where I got a great start! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/v9CgSijeNm

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) September 7, 2015

#TransformationTuesday Enjoying the fruits of labor today, literally. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/Tp8EnNwVJa

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 25, 2015

#EarthArt Looks like Earth replicated Michelangelo’s famous fresco. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/28UdfEC00s

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 22, 2015

Ships in line thru Suez Canal. We got ships in line too. Progress & #HTV5 headed to @space_station soon! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/I4J92z4K92

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 13, 2015

It looks like the great pyramids were built to face the golf course. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/kYA6NVl3fV

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 13, 2015

Day 135. #MilkyWay. You’re old, dusty, gassy and warped. But beautiful. Good night from @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/4q09y5CxGJ

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 9, 2015

Through this long lens you look so close, #Galveston, #Texas, yet, so far away. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/5JMjCldjkz

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 9, 2015

City lights dazzle across Sin City to the Big Easy from @space_station. #HappyFriday!https://t.co/fuFBcyTsOf

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 7, 2015

 

Great tweet chat from space on @Twitter today. Thank you to all – including Mr. President – who joined me and asked Qs about my #YearInSpace so far. I enjoyed connecting with people back on Earth. #Saturday #tweet #space #spacestation #nasa

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Aug 1, 2015 at 6:04pm PDT

 

Day 115. Monday went by like a flash of lightning. Good night from @ISS! #YearInSpace #lightning #space #iss #spacestation #goodnight

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Jul 20, 2015 at 6:58pm PDT

 

#GreatLakes You are a great masterpiece. Good morning from @ISS! #YearInSpace #EarthArt #iss #spacestation #space #art #earth

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Jun 24, 2015 at 6:47am PDT

 

This lake North East of the #Himalayas appears to be the bluest place on Earth from @ISS. #YearInSpace #blue #earth #space #iss #lake

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Jun 9, 2015 at 1:45pm PDT

 

From @ISS looks like a serious expansion project on #SpratlyIslands in the #SouthChinaSea. #YearInSpace #space #iss #photo

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Jun 8, 2015 at 12:17pm PDT

 

My alma mater #SUNY Maritime College from @ISS. Congrats to all 2015 graduates. You’re almost there, seniors! #GraduationMonth #2015 #graduation #education #space #iss

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Jun 2, 2015 at 12:05pm PDT

 

#Perth #Australia. Good morning from @ISS. Looking good #DownUnder! #YearInSpace #iss #space #photo

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on May 20, 2015 at 4:17am PDT

 

#Watercolor from space. #YearInSpace #iss #space #photo #earth #ocean #water #blue

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on May 10, 2015 at 3:15pm PDT

 

After a hard day of work, the #moon sets, and so do I. Good night from @ISS. #goodnight #space #pod #photo #moonshot #iss #nasa

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on May 5, 2015 at 3:32pm PDT

 

Space breakfast taco with rehydrated eggs, sausage & hot sauce on a tortilla. Happy #CincoDeMayo from @ISS! #YearInSpace #May5 #spacefood #space #iss

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on May 5, 2015 at 6:41am PDT

 

Had my first cup of fancy coffee yesterday from the much anticipated @ISS #espresso machine. Not too bad. #YearInSpace #ISSpresso #space #java #iss #coffee

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on May 4, 2015 at 1:16pm PDT

 

#SaturdayMorning #coffee with my old friend #PlanetEarth. #YearInSpace #saturday #earth #space #iss #photo

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on May 2, 2015 at 7:15am PDT

 

My #bedroom aboard #ISS. All the comforts of #home. Well, most of them. #YearInSpace #space #photo

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Apr 24, 2015 at 6:55am PDT

 

#Africa. I wonder what these desert sands look like up close?#YearInSpace #spaceart #earth #space #desert #pod #ISS

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Apr 19, 2015 at 3:38pm PDT

 

Out of the #blue, good morning from @space_station! #YearInSpace #goodmorning #earth #space #photo

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Apr 14, 2015 at 7:50am PDT

 

#Madagascar drains its red mud into the Indian Ocean. #YearInSpace #blue #earth #space #ISS #pod

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Apr 9, 2015 at 2:50pm PDT

 

The #EasterBunny came to visit! #HappyEaster from #ISS. #YearInSpace #pod #space #easter #holiday #bunny #rabbitsofinstagram

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Apr 5, 2015 at 10:24am PDT

 

Got a reminder from the @WhiteHouse of the President’s call to action: “Good luck, Captain. Make sure to @Instagram it! We’re proud of you.” My first post to Instagram from on orbit. Made it! Moving into crew quarters on @ISS. Thank you, Mr. President and to your wife, Mrs. Obama, for your continued support of this important #yearinspace that will expand our future in space exploration for all mankind. Happy to report for duty. #iss #space #exploration #nasa #whitehouse #potus #flotus #thankyou

A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Mar 30, 2015 at 7:34am PDT