NASA to use twin astronauts to study effects of long-duration spaceflight
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028453
Smithsonian : Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly, who have both worked as astronauts with NASA, are the only set of twins to have traveled in space. Although Mark retired three years ago, he is about to become part of a NASA study when identical twin Scott returns to space in 2015 to spend a year on board the International Space Station. No US astronaut has spent that long in space, so NASA will use the opportunity to study how the long-duration spaceflight affects Scott. The agency will look at such things as the effects of weightlessness, radiation, isolation, and confinement. Scott’s results will be compared with those from tests conducted on Mark, who will remain on Earth. The results will be used to help prepare astronauts for longer space trips such as to Mars.
