Scott Kelly: Work-life balance important in space

Astronaut Scott Kelly, left, and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko reflect on the challenges of living aboard the International Space Station for nearly a full year. NASA TV

Settling in aboard the International Space Station for a marathon 342-day stay in orbit, astronaut Scott Kelly says he's taking life in space "one day at a time," adding he plans to work at a slightly slower pace to maintain an even keel and keep his energy up as the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months.

Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, who is joining Kelly for what NASA bills as the "One-Year Mission," said time tends to drag a bit on a long-duration flight, but he has no concerns about any potential psychological issues.

"The time flies a little slower here," Kornienko said in a NASA interview conducted Monday. "But as far as our psychological compatibility, we have been working really hard on the ground to work that out, and we have lots and lots of support. Our psychological success is a given. I'm very sure about our success, and I'm sure we will not have even a modicum of any psychological issues."

Kelly, Kornienko and Soyuz TMA-16M commander Gennady Padalka -- all three veterans of previous stays aboard the space station -- arrived at the lab complex Friday night, six hours after a sky-lighting launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They were welcomed aboard by Expedition 43 commander Terry Virts, cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov and European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.

"The ride to orbit was impressive as it always is," Kelly said in the NASA interview. "But once I got on board the space station, it really felt like I was visiting an old home, it felt very comfortable. But there is a lot of work to be done here, and the pace of work at times can be hectic. ... We've basically been working since we got here."

He said it will be important to maintain a manageable pace throughout the long flight and not to focus too much on upcoming events.

"Right now, I'm just kind of taking it day by day," he said, adding he plans to work at "maybe a little bit slower pace than I did last time (to keep) my energy level up so I have the appropriate reserves to deal with all these different major activities ... and, you know, respond if something happens that we have to work through the night or respond to some kind of emergency situation.

"I think a good life-work balance is important, and that's even more important in some cases on the space station."

Throughout their nearly yearlong stay in orbit, Kelly and Kornienko will participate in a wide variety of experiments to study the effects of prolonged weightlessness on the human body as well as the psychological impact of a long-duration stay in a confined space away from family and friends.

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Scott Kelly: Work-life balance important in space