Scott Kelly: US astronaut 'grows' five centimetres after 340 days in space

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US astronaut Scott Kelly has reportedly returned to Earth five centimetres taller after spending 340 days in space.

Mr Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Sergei Volkov touched down in Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

Part of the American's mission was to participate in an experiment testing the impact of space on the human body, using his identical twin brother, Mark, as a baseline.

NASA spokesman Jeff Williams said Mr Kelly, 52, had grown by about five centimetres, according to CNN.

"Astronauts get taller in space as the spine elongates," Mr Williams said.

"But they return to pre-flight height after a short time back on Earth."

Mr Kelly travelled 230 million kilometres during his mission, chronicling his journey with regular updates and spectacular pictures on social media.

While back on Earth, Mr Kelly has continued to post about facets of his daily life.

"There's no place like home!" he wrote, on a video post of him jumping into his swimming pool.

He also posted a picture of a flower that was given to him on landing, and a snap of his first salad on Earth since returning home.

NASA said Mr Kelly and Mr Kornienko conducted nearly 400 investigations during their mission on the International Space Station, including research that the agency will use in its plans for a mission to Mars.

Topics: science-and-technology, space-exploration, united-states