Scott Kelly
(Image credit: Getty Images)

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly will retire in April, he announced Friday, just over one week after returning from a record 340-day mission in space. Like his astronaut twin, Mark, Kelly will continue to participate in medical research examining the effects of space flight.

"I am humbled and excited by new opportunities for me to support and share the amazing work NASA is doing to help us travel farther into the solar system and work with the next generation of science and technology leaders," he wrote on Facebook. "I look forward to continuing my 30 years of public service in a new role."

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.