SCIENCE

NASA's star astronaut Scott Kelly: Time was right to retire

Associated Press
Published | Updated

FILE - In this Wednesday, March 2, 2016, file photo provided by NASA, International Space Station (ISS) crew member Scott Kelly of the U.S. reacts after landing near the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Kelly is exploring lots of options for the next step in his life. But he’s saving the serious job discussions for retirement, coming up April 1. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this March 4, 2016, file photo, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, left, and his twin Mark get together before a press conference in Houston. Scott Kelly set a U.S. record with his a 340-day mission to the International Space Station. Kelly is exploring lots of options for the next step in his life. But he’s saving the serious job discussions for retirement, coming up April 1. His identical twin, Mark, retired as an astronaut soon after the shuttle program ended in 2011, yet agreed to medical testing as part of the unprecedented twins study that got under way well before Scott’s March 2015 launch from Kazakhstan. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this April 9, 2015, file photo, made available by NASA, astronauts Terry Virts, bottom, and Scott Kelly perform eye exams in the Destiny Laboratory of the International Space Station as part of ongoing studies on vision health in microgravity. Kelly is exploring lots of options for the next step in his life. But he’s saving the serious job discussions for retirement, coming up April 1. (NASA via AP, File) (The Associated Press)

After 20 years with NASA, America's star astronaut Scott Kelly says it's time to move on.

He's already hopped on the speaker circuit but is saving the serious job discussions for retirement, coming up in just two weeks.

Kelly announced his retirement last Friday, just nine days after returning from a yearlong, record-breaking mission at the International Space Station. He's retiring April 1.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, the 52-year-old astronaut said he doesn't have a full-time job lined up — yet — despite plenty of offers. He says retiring gives him the flexibility to explore other options and still be available for NASA debriefings and medical tests.