When Scott Kelly came back from his year in space in 2016, he was two inches taller than when he left , a common effect of living in freefall for extended periods of time. Scientists also found microgravity can damage DNA, thicken artery walls and change the microbiome from their research on the Kelly's.Research and scientific details about how the near-year of microgravity affected Koch are not yet available, but NASA intends to use her extended stay as a way to observe whether prolonged spaceflight will affect women differently than their male counterparts.In the upcoming Artemis missions, NASA will be sending the first woman and next man to the Moon. Extended missions to the planned lunar orbiting space station, Gateway, will see both male and female astronauts in space for longer periods of time, and comprehensive studies of both men and women in microgravity situations will be critical for future exploration.For now, Koch seems to be enjoying her time back on Spaceship Earth. She revealed during the press conference that she was excited to see her dog, a rescues she calls LBD or Little Brown Dog. She’s also taken a trip to the beach with her family and friends.This time when she saw the ocean, she wasn’t floating above it 200 miles away in space.