<p>Former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain Scott Kelly shares the remarkable story of his “Year in Space” mission and how personal determination, a willingness to embrace failure, and a never-quit attitude helped him achieve his professional and personal goals. He holds the record for the single longest mission of an American astronaut in space; previously he held the record for the total accumulated number of days spent in space.</p><p>With stories from his rough-and-tumble childhood in New Jersey as the son of two police officers, Scott Kelly shares how despite starting out life as a poor student, he was able to become a U.S. Navy fighter pilot flying the F-14 Tomcat, and then a test pilot, and finally a NASA astronaut.</p><p>When he and his twin brother, Mark, were selected to become astronaut candidates in April of 1996, they were the first relatives ever selected. After completing his training, Scott became the first American in his class of 44 prospective astronauts assigned to a space flight as the pilot of STS-103, an emergency repair mission to the Hubble Space telescope in 1999.</p><p>On his second mission, Scott was assigned to command space shuttle mission STS-118, a rare feat given that most shuttle commanders are assigned after two flights as a pilot.</p><p>Scott recounts the challenges that he and his crew faced on his four missions to space and considers the traits that helped him overcome those obstacles. With humor and visual storytelling, he describes the effects of isolation, the physical impact on the body and the psychological pressures of living in a confined space. He vividly describes the many dangers—from the constant risk of collision with space debris to the potential for depressurization, fire, or system failures — any of which could have meant catastrophe.</p><p>Chief among the lessons Scott shares: the importance of preparation, attention to detail and teamwork—any of which can mean the difference between life and death or success and failure for a team.</p><p>Scott Kelly is the author of two <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers, including his memoir,<em> Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery</em>, and the companion collection of images published as<em> Infinite Wonder: An Astronaut's Photographs from a Year in Space</em>. He is also the author of two children’s books,<em> My Journey to the Stars</em> and <em>Goodnight, Astronaut</em>. His newest book, <em>Ready for Launch: An Astronaut’s Lessons for Success on Earth</em> was published in early 2022<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(124, 131, 137);">.</span></p><p>Scott Kelly’s story is featured in the award-winning <em>TIME</em> and PBS documentaries <em>A Year in Space</em> and in the theatrical release from Universal Pictures of the 2021 documentary <em>The Wonderful: Stories from the Space Station</em>. In 2021, he was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.</p>
History-making NASA astronaut; first to complete a year-in-space mission
<ul><li><strong>The Sky Is Not the Limit</strong></li><li>During his record-breaking Year in Space, U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly captivated the world while laying the groundwork for the future of space travel and exploration. And while science was at the core of Kelly’s groundbreaking expedition, it is his life lessons and personal stories from 229 miles above Earth—and the path that led him there—that offer unique perspective on embracing risk and discovering one’s true potential to achieve the impossible. Drawing from his epic life journey and the extraordinary experience of living in isolation for a year, Kelly provides invaluable lessons in leadership and teamwork, as well as strategies for managing anxiety and stress in uncertain times. An American hero whose contribution to humanity is as far-reaching as his story, Captain Kelly is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.</li><li><strong> Failure IS an Option: Transforming Setbacks into Success</strong></li><li>Although the world knows Captain Scott Kelly as the history-making, record-breaking U.S. astronaut who successfully completed a year in space, he’s grappled with plenty of failure in his life. By embracing failure, however, he unlocked repeated success. Captain Kelly shares candid, inspiring, and often hilarious stories from his own epic life journey, as well as vivid examples of groundbreakers ranging from Albert Einstein to Elon Musk. He provides audiences with compelling insights on how failure is an essential step in the process of achieving lasting resilience, and continuous personal and professional growth. He reveals how organizations that recognize and embrace failure as part of their process create a culture where employees and teams can bring their best ideas — allowing them to think differently, be more inventive, and discover remarkably innovative solutions. By confronting our setbacks and allowing ourselves to “fail forward,” we unlock deeper strengths and gain powerful new focus on our individual and team goals.</li></ul>