After spending 340 days in space, aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is back on Earth. Russia’s Soyuz TMA-18M space capsule carrying Scott Kelly and his crewmates landed on March 1 in Kazakhstan. With the end of this mission, Kelly now has spent a total of 520 days in space across four space missions.
Last Friday, Scott Kelly had his first press conference since he came back from space. He talked about how he adapt to zero gravity and maintained good health and his future plans.
The level of the muscle soreness and fatigue, Kelly said, are a lot worse that it was last time.
"I also have an issue with my skin," he added. “Because it hadn’t touched anything for so long, had any significant contact, it's very, very sensitive. It’s almost like a burning feeling where I sit or lie or walk."
Along with his crewmates Kelly was involved in more than 450 experiments while on board. He arrived full of data which NASA researchers will use to study what happens to the immune system and the human gut after months in zero gravity and high radiation.
Major foreign newspapers reported that Kelly was about 2 inches (5 centimeters) taller when he returned to Earth and he was around 1/100th of a second younger than he would have been if he hadn't gone.
Kelly’s height boost is caused by the low-gravity conditions of space, which elongate the spine. The discs between vertebrae expand when not pressed down by the full force of gravity. The result: the spine lengthens and the astronaut gets taller.
Scott Kelly himself predicted that he would not fly again with the space agency. “But I don’t think I would ever say I’m absolutely, 100% done,” he added. “Private spaceflight companies such as SpaceX might need a guy like me someday,” he said. “Maybe in the next 20 years you’ll be able to buy a cheap ticket, just go for a little visit.”
Scott Kelly has shared awe-inspiring out-of-this-world photos taken from the ISS on social media like Facebook and Twitter.
With such excitement half a world away, South Korea’s aerospace industry also announced thrilling news. South Korea and the US finally reached an agreement on space cooperation. According to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP), the two nations are to sign a formal agreement that seeks increased cooperation in space science, earth observation and space exploration.
The South Korean government struck a space cooperation agreement with Russia back in 2004. However, the country’s two earlier attempts to launch the KSLV-1, also known as Naro, into space ended in failure. Under difficult circumstances, we have been developing space technologies while feeling out whether the Russian government is willing to cooperate on our third attempt. If South Korea joins hands with the world’s No.1 aerospace superpower, the US, and its NASA, Korean aerospace technology can be taken to new heights. It is of great significance that S. Korea and the US have agreed on a deal aimed at establishing a legal and institutional framework for increased civilian cooperation in space science, earth observation and space exploration.
S. Korea’s space development programs, including an unmanned lunar exploration project, will be given a much-needed impetus. S. Korea-US space cooperation will also have a great impact on the export of Korean aerospace technologies.
The US has sealed similar agreements with ten countries including France, Russia, Canada, and Argentina. However, there is one caveat that we should pay heed to. Even if we team up with the US technology-wise, it is evident that such technological cooperation does not promise access to all the aerospace technologies the US holds.
In March 2008, Ko San, who beat 36,000 contestants to become the first South Korean space traveler, was replaced by Yi So-yeon less than a month before flying on a Russian Soyuz capsule to the international space station because the Russian Federal Space Agency asked for a replacement. Russian authorities said Ko took his training manual out of the center without permission and sent it to his home in South Korea.
Though Ko San said he accidentally sent it home together with other personal belongings, he was accused of industrial espionage. Ko San was being monitored for possible violations of export control regulations. Bearing in mind the last-minute replacement due to Ko San’s clumsy handling of his textbooks, we should sign a sensible deal with the US not to awkwardly drop the ball this time again. For the US, protecting national interests will always come before US-Korea alliance.
The worldwide aerospace industry, including ground equipment, satellite manufacturing, satellite launch and satellite services, is valued at roughly 600 billion dollars. The US takes up nearly 60% of the market.
The global aerospace industry has recently witnessed a pullback in the defense and intelligence sectors and a surge in the share of civilian space development.
As the Rumsfeld "Space Commission" Report, released by the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization, underlined the importance of space dominance in the 21st century, it goes without saying that developing the aerospace industry should be given a priority. The aerospace industry is projected to serve as one of the main props of the Korean economy.
