What is the gist in this article?
Apparently, there's nothing better than a blast of fresh air to welcome you back to Earth after nearly a year in space.

That's the word from American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko. They returned to Earth on March 2, 2016, after being roommates on the International Space Station (ISS) for 340 days. The men landed in Kazakhstan. Returning with them was Soyuz Commander Sergey Volkov. He had been on the ISS for a six-month mission.

Kelly said it was "amazing" to feel the cold air when the hatch of the Soyuz capsule popped open.

"I don't mean to say it's not fresh on the space station," Kelly said. "But there's nothing like new cold air coming into the capsule." Both Kelly and Kornienko longed for nature throughout their long mission on the ISS.

"Just like Scott, I wanted to see Earth. I wanted to smell that fresh air. This is an unforgettable feeling," Kornienko said.

Kelly's stay was a record-breaker: It was the longest an American ever lived in space. Four Russian cosmonauts, however, had accomplished stays of at least a year aboard the Mir space station. (It orbited Earth from 1986 to 2001.) One of these men, Valeri Polyakov, holds the world record for time spent in space. He lived on the Mir for 437 days during a mission that ended on March 22, 1995.

Kelly and Kornienko's mission was still impressive, however. It was part of an effort to collect information on the effects of long-term weightlessness on the human body. This information will be used to explore the idea of a human mission to Mars. NASA, the U.S. space agency, hopes to send people to Mars by the 2030s. First, however, the agency wants to understand how astronauts' minds and bodies will fare during the 2½-year mission. To this end, both Kelly and Kornienko took part in hundreds of experiments as they traveled in space. Samples of their blood and saliva were collected, for example. They tested ways to survive with a limited supply of water. They were also exposed to cosmic radiation.

Make no mistake, "a year's a long time," according to Kelly. He checked into the space station in March 2015. By the six-month mark in September, "I felt like I had been up there my whole life," he said.

And the ride's not over yet. Data collection resumed quickly after the capsule touched down. Minutes after landing, both men were whisked into a medical tent. There, they did their best to stand, walk, jump, and navigate obstacles. 1/2

Question

What is the gist in this article? 
Apparently, there's nothing better than a blast of fresh air to welcome you back to Earth after nearly a year in space.

That's the word from American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko. They returned to Earth on March 2, 2016, after being roommates on the International Space Station (ISS) for 340 days. The men landed in Kazakhstan. Returning with them was Soyuz Commander Sergey Volkov. He had been on the ISS for a six-month mission.

Kelly said it was "amazing" to feel the cold air when the hatch of the Soyuz capsule popped open.

"I don't mean to say it's not fresh on the space station," Kelly said. "But there's nothing like new cold air coming into the capsule." Both Kelly and Kornienko longed for nature throughout their long mission on the ISS.

"Just like Scott, I wanted to see Earth. I wanted to smell that fresh air. This is an unforgettable feeling," Kornienko said.

Kelly's stay was a record-breaker: It was the longest an American ever lived in space. Four Russian cosmonauts, however, had accomplished stays of at least a year aboard the Mir space station. (It orbited Earth from 1986 to 2001.) One of these men, Valeri Polyakov, holds the world record for time spent in space. He lived on the Mir for 437 days during a mission that ended on March 22, 1995.

Kelly and Kornienko's mission was still impressive, however. It was part of an effort to collect information on the effects of long-term weightlessness on the human body. This information will be used to explore the idea of a human mission to Mars. NASA, the U.S. space agency, hopes to send people to Mars by the 2030s. First, however, the agency wants to understand how astronauts' minds and bodies will fare during the 2½-year mission. To this end, both Kelly and Kornienko took part in hundreds of experiments as they traveled in space. Samples of their blood and saliva were collected, for example. They tested ways to survive with a limited supply of water. They were also exposed to cosmic radiation.

Make no mistake, "a year's a long time," according to Kelly. He checked into the space station in March 2015. By the six-month mark in September, "I felt like I had been up there my whole life," he said.

And the ride's not over yet. Data collection resumed quickly after the capsule touched down. Minutes after landing, both men were whisked into a medical tent. There, they did their best to stand, walk, jump, and navigate obstacles. 1/2

blinks2233 · Answer

These are all things an astronaut might need to do immediately upon arriving on Mars. Other scientific testing will continue for weeks or months. For Kelly, this could last for more than a year. Results of his tests will be compared with those of his identical twin brother, retired astronaut Mark Kelly. Mark remained Earth-bound while his brother was in space.

After the first tests back on Earth, Kelly and Kornienko headed home. Kelly flew to Houston, Texas, in the U.S. Kornienko flew to Star City, Russia. Both were greeted by their families.

Kelly spoke briefly in Houston. He told the crowd, "I missed everyone very much."

As for his space legacy, Kelly said that he and Kornienko "were a small part" in setting the stage for Mars. 2/2