--- description: For the human body, Kelly said space travel has "permanent effects we simply do not fully understand." title: Scott Kelly Describes Effects of Space on The Body image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91a25b5a6deb0035/69889822196cf444f703c0b0/scott-kelly-testify-effects-space.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Astronaut Scott Kelly Describes Effects of Space on the Body: 'We Simply Do Not Fully Understand'  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 16, 2016 2:56 PM CUT  NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly speaks to the media after returning from a one year mission in space at the Johnson Space Center in Texas on March 4, 2016. NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly speaks to the media after returning from a one year mission in space at the Johnson Space Center in Texas on March 4, 2016.Eric Kayne—Getty Images  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 16, 2016 2:56 PM CUT Astronaut Scott Kelly, back from his [year in space](http://time.com/space-nasa-scott-kelly-mission/ "undefined") on the International Space Station, said the “permanent effects we simply do not fully understand” that astronauts experience in space [must be mitigated](http://abcnews.go.com/US/space-travel-permanent-effects-astronaut-scott-kelly/story "undefined") before developing space travel for people. Kelly cited serious carbon monoxide and radiation exposure, vision problems and a loss of bone or muscle mass due to low gravity as some of the adverse effects space travel takes on astronauts. He had been aboard the ISS to [learn more about the effects of space](http://time.com/space-nasa-scott-kelly-mission/ "undefined") on one’s body, with his twin brother Mark Kelly on earth as the control. “The environment astronauts are exposed to while in space is unlike anything we experience here on earth,” he said in remarks to the House Science, Space and Technology committee. “Exposure to the space environment has permanent effects we simply do not fully understand.” Kelly also detailed how his skin grew sensitive and irritable after not touching anything in space for nearly a year, and how his legs swelled because of the changes in gravity he experienced. He also started experiencing flu-like symptoms. Kelly testified as the House committee [considers requiring NASA](http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/15/11950500/congress-wants-nasa-to-provide-lifetime-healthcare-coverage-to-astronauts-after-their-retire "undefined") to provide astronauts with lifelong health insurance. \[[_ABC News_](http://abcnews.go.com/US/space-travel-permanent-effects-astronaut-scott-kelly/story "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4371495/scott-kelly-space-body/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4371495/scott-kelly-space-body/"},"headline":"Astronaut Scott Kelly Describes Effects of Space on the Body: 'We Simply Do Not Fully Understand'","datePublished":"2016-06-16T14:56:31.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T22:39:21.575Z","description":"For the human body, Kelly said space travel has \"permanent effects we simply do not fully understand\"","url":"https://time.com/4371495/scott-kelly-space-body/","keywords":["Innovation","Technology","health"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91a25b5a6deb0035/69889822196cf444f703c0b0/scott-kelly-testify-effects-space.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Julia Zorthian","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91a25b5a6deb0035/69889822196cf444f703c0b0/scott-kelly-testify-effects-space.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"scott kelly testify effects space","caption":"Astronaut Scott Kelly Discusses His One-Year Mission Aboard The ISS","creditText":"Eric Kayne—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4371495/scott-kelly-space-body/","name":"Astronaut Scott Kelly Describes Effects of Space on the Body: 'We Simply Do Not Fully Understand'"}}]}] ```