NASA astronaut Scott Kelly welcomed back to Earth by US President Barack Obama!

Image courtesy: Barack Obama/White House/Twitter/Scott Kelly

Zee Media Bureau/Udita Madan

New Delhi: American astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth on Tuesday after completing a historic 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

US space agency NASA aired the entire process, the crew members' last moments at the ISS, the undocking of the Soyuz spacecraft and finally their landing in Kazakhstan.

Everyone has been celebrating the astronauts' homecoming and it seems like US President Barack Obama was excited as anyone on Kelly's safe return.

According to a report in IANS, the White House said that President Obama spoke on the phone with Scott Kelly on Wednesday, welcoming him back to Earth from his yearlong mission on the International Space Station (ISS) and also tweeted him about the same! 

Welcome back to Earth, @StationCDRKelly! Your year in space is vital to the future of American space travel. Hope gravity isn't a drag!

— President Obama (@POTUS) March 2, 2016

Scott kelly gave a grateful and happy reply to the US President!

.@POTUS Thank you, Mr. President. For your support & for your phone call as I fly home at a lower altitude tonight! pic.twitter.com/nQYq3gNIZI

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) March 3, 2016

The report further mentioned that Obama thanked Kelly "for his participation in important research about what it will take for us to make long journeys in space, and for inspiring a new generation of young people to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”

The US President also acknowledged the key role that the year-long mission will play in formulating further deep space voyages and eventually help in sending astronauts to Mars in the 2030's.

US President Obama had earlier tweeted a video of his conversation with Scott Kelly while he was in space and the world also saw tweets exchanged with the US President expressing his pride in Kelly and his work.

In case you missed it, watch the video and the tweets that followed later, below:

I got a chance to catch up with the @Space_Station crew today. Nothing like a call to space on #AstronomyNight! https://t.co/JVLzYDQ8Jo

— President Obama (@POTUS) October 20, 2015

Window seat at #SOTU. Last year @POTUS told me "Instagram it!" 636 #YearInSpace photos How am I doing Mr. President? pic.twitter.com/BS1rFwtD3o

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 12, 2016

So proud of you, Scott. How long is the delay up there? See you when you get back! https://t.co/doBpaDeZXq

— President Obama (@POTUS) January 12, 2016

(With Agency Inputs)