The Yearlong Space Station Mission: Full Coverage

Editor's Note: On Sept. 15, 2015, the one-year mission on the International Space Station reached its official mid-point. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko launched to the station on March 27, 2015. Kelly will be the first American to spend a consecutive year in space; other Russian cosmonauts have previously accomplished that goal, but Kornienko is the first to do it aboard the International Space Station. Scientists are interested to see how the extended mission will affect the two men physically and mentally. Here is our latest coverage of the mission:

• Halfway Home: One-Year Space Crew Rallies for 6 More Months Off Earths
• Space Twins: Genetic Science Meets Space Travel on One-Year Mission
• Epic Yearlong Space Mission Documented in Time Magazine Web Series
• 6 Months in Space, Astronaut Scott Kelly Misses Food, Outdoors and Loved Ones
• On Twitter, Astronaut Scott Kelly Chronicles His Yearlong Space Voyage

Editor's Note: The one-year International Space Station mission successfully launched to orbit today (March 27). Read the full story here - Liftoff! US, Russia Launch Historic One-Year Space Mission

An epic and unprecedented one-year mission to the International Space Station will begin Friday (March 27). NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko are scheduled to launch toward the orbiting lab aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule at 3:42 p.m. EDT (1942 GMT) Friday from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakshtan. You can watch the launch here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV.

Studying how Kelly and Kornienko cope during their 12 months aloft should shed light on the physiological and psychological effects of long-term spaceflight, paving the way for eventual journeys to Mars and other deep-space destinations, NASA officials have said. (Kelly and Kornienko will travel to the orbiting lab Friday with cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, who will stay in space for the normal six months.)

LATEST STORY: Liftoff! US, Russia Launch Historic One-Year Space Mission  - The one-year space station mission successfully launched to space today (March 27). Read our full story on the launch at the link above. Scroll down for our full coverage of the yearlong space station mission below:

Videos 

• Blast-Off! Astronaut and Cosmonaut Leave Earth For A Year
• One-Year Space Station Mission Huge Step To Mars
• Astronaut Scott Kelly: Merchant Marine To A Year In Space
• One-Year Mission Cosmonaut - Russian Spaceflight Heritage
• President Obama Recognizes NASA During State Of The Union
• Twin Study in Space - One Up, One Down for Bio-Science

Multimedia

• How the Epic One-Year Space Station Mission Works (Infographic)
• One Year in Space: Epic Space Station Mission in Photos
• Twins In Space: NASA's Twin Astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly (Photos)
• The Human Body in Space: 6 Weird Facts
• The Most Extreme Human Spaceflight Records
• Giant Leaps: Top Milestones of Human Spaceflight

Full Coverage

Friday, March 25

EXCLUSIVE: NASA Chief: 1-Year Space Station Mission Advances Journey to Mars
NASA chief Charles Bolden writes in an op-ed why he thinks the agency's one-year mission by astronaut Scott Kelly help set the stage for missions to Mars and beyond.

One-Year Space Station Mission Launches Today: Watch It Live
It's launch day for NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka, as Kelly and Kornienko embark on the first one-year mission to the International Space Station. Here's how to watch the launch live online. 

Thursday, March 25

One Year in Space: A History of Ultra-Long Missions Off Planet Earth
The yearlong voyage launching on March 27 may be the first one ever to the International Space Station, but it is by no means the first time space travelers have embarked on such a long mission. See the history of endurange space missions here.

5 Human Body Questions the 1-Year Space Station Mission May Answer 
NASA has a lot of questions about what happens to people who live in space for long periods of time, and it's almost time to get some answers. 

Wednesday, March 25

A Year in Space: The Science Behind the Epic Space Station Voyage
Science experiments conducted on the International Space Station during the orbiting outpost's first yearlong mission could help open the door to deep space for NASA.

The Surprising Story Behind 1-Year-Mission Astronaut Scott Kelly's Space Patches
Scott Kelly's name tags were intended to be on the space station by now. The two blue and gold badges were among the items that NASA had arranged to send to the orbiting outpost ahead of Kelly launching on a yearlong expedition.

Tuesday, March 24

Astronaut Scott Kelly Will Test His Limits on Epic One-Year Space Mission 
NASA's Scott Kelly is getting ready to fly up to the International Space Station Friday (March 27) for a yearlong mission that will test his endurance like never before.

Monday, March 23

Astronaut and Cosmonaut to Launch on 1-Year Space Mission This Week
An American astronaut and two cosmonauts are set to fly up to the International Space Station Friday (March 27), and two of those crewmembers won't be back on Earth for about a year on a mission that aims to help open the doorway to deep space for Earthlings. 

Earlier Coverage:

Obama Hails NASA Astronaut Set for 1-Year Space Voyage in State of the Union
President Barack Obama recognized the first American astronaut who will spend a year in space during the State of Union address on Jan. 20.

America's First One-Year Space Voyage Has Astronaut Excited
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is pumped that he gets to be the first American to spend a continuous year in space.

1-Year Space Station Mission May Pave NASA's Way to Mars
The first crew to embark on a yearlong International Space Station mission could help NASA get to Mars, agency officials say.

NASA Picks 10 Experiments for Unprecedented Astronaut Twin Study (Video)
The only set of astronaut twins are set to become test subjects in an unprecedented NASA investigation into how weightlessness impacts the human body.

NASA's Twin Astronauts Volunteer as Guinea Pigs for Space Science
NASA's only set of identical twin astronauts will have scientists seeing double in 2015 ... literally.

Astronauts Excited For First Yearlong Trip to International Space Station
The two men preparing for the first-ever yearlong mission to the International Space Station are looking forward to the challenge. 

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