Double Act
The likelihood of having twins is 30 to one and the odds of being an astronaut are 13.2 million to one. As you’d expect it would be a once in a blue moon occurrence for a set of identical twins to both become astronauts but that unlikely hypothesis has become a reality and it throws up a world of possibilities for NASA scientists. Mark and Scott Kelly are almost impossible to tell apart and researchers hope to use this aspect to their advantage by comparing the brothers’ bodies when one goes to space while the other stays behind on Earth. In 2015 Scott will begin his year-long stay on the International Space Station, making him the first American to spend 12 months in space. Meanwhile Mark will remain on Earth. Both brothers will submit blood and tissues to researchers for the year-long experiment and it is hoped that Scott’s samples will determine what, if any, genetic changes occur during extended time in space. Cosmic radiation exposure and the possible increase of the likelihood of certain cancers is one known physiological danger of prolonged space flights. The deterioration of weight-bearing bones and certain muscle groups is another effect commonly associated with astronauts and space travel. Researchers hope this new type of experiment will help us better understand space travel’s less obvious effects so that they can prepare for them in the future.