Image: Good morning from the International Space Station

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) shared this photograph on social media, taken from the International Space Station on Sept. 10, 2015. Kelly wrote, "#GoodMorning Texas! Great view of you, the #moon, and #Venus this morning. #YearInSpace"

On Sept. 15, Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko clock in for their 171st day aboard the International Space Station since arriving on March 27. The pair, set to come home March 3, 2016, are spending 342 days in space to help researchers better understand how the human body reacts and adapts to long duration spaceflight.

In their almost six months in orbit, Kelly and Kornienko have participated in a range of scientific experiments focusing on seven key areas of human research. The one-year crew mission is the latest step in the International Space Station's role as a platform for preparing humanity for exploration into deeper space.