Scott Kelly
Scott Kelly is a highly accomplished and decorated military veteran, astronaut, and author of numerous books. He has earned numerous accolades throughout his career, including the highest honor in the US Navy — four Navy Distinguished Service Medals. During his astronaut career, Kelly piloted several high-profile space flights and became the first American to spend a year in space, a feat he accomplished during a 2015-16 stint on the International Space Station. Kelly has since retired from the space program to pursue a wide array of interest, including writing about his unique experiences in space as well as devoting his time to philanthropic endeavors.
Kelly’s early life had a big influence on his future successes. He was born in 1964 in Orange, New Jersey to a police officer father and a homemaker mother. Both his parents had minimal college education but valued education, pressing the importance of reading onto their children. This inspired Kelly to pursue a degree in electrical engineering after graduating high school and joining the service. Kelly's military career began in 1987, when he enlisted in the Navy. He quickly rose in rank, becoming a naval officer in 1989 and a qualified pilot in 1990, thus earning the distinguished honor of being the youngest test pilot in NAS.
Kelly continued to find success in the military during Operation Desert Storm, where he flew numerous sorties, including delivering crucial parts to the warzone and transporting prisoners of war back to the United States. He began his journey to outer space in 1996 when he was selected as a candidate for the NASA Astronaut Corps. During this time, Kelly flew to several destinations in space, including a six-month mission aboard the Russian space station Mir. Kelly was awarded the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross and the American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement Award for his efforts.
In 2015, Kelly retired from the military and began the greatest endeavor of his career: his yearlong mission on the International Space Station. Aggregating a total of 520 days in space, Kelly set numerous records, including being the first American astronaut to have spent a year in space. His stay aboard the International Space station was characterized by very detailed and unique observations, ranging from the effects intense isolation to discussing how the space environment affected growth patterns of plants. He also posted several pictures and videos of his day-to-day life aboard the space station, giving people on Earth a first-hand look of what it’s like to live in space.
Scott Kelly has since put his experience to the test by writing three ground-breaking books. His first book, Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery, is an autobiography about his time aboard the space station, in which he sheds light on the hidden life of an astronaut — from the psychological tests and medical assessments to the wonders of space travel. In 2018, he followed this with a memoir, Infinite Wonder: An Astronaut’spictures from the Great Beyond. This photography book features high-resolution images taken by Kelly himself during his yearlong mission as a reminder to people on Earth of the beauty of our planet. Continuing in his series of inspiring journeying books, he released One Year in Space: Lessons I Learned, which made the New York Times best sellers list.
In addition to his writing, Kelly is a well-sought after keynote speaker. He often talks about his upcoming projects and the importance in investing in space exploration. In other appearances, Kelly has been a resource for documentaries about space travel, as well as being an advocate for veterans through a partnership with Pat Tillman Leadership. Receiving numerous awards and recognitions from various organizations, Kelly also serves as an advisor to Axiom Space, a company focused on turning space into a destination for all people.
Scott Kelly is an inspirational figure for many, representing groundbreaking achievement in science, exploration, and writing. Standing out throughout his career, he continually proves the importance of perseverance and the power of the human spirit.
