NASA’s Groundbreaking Findings After Comparing Astronaut Twin’s Health Post Year-Long Space Mission

In a unique situation, NASA, the American space agency, has been able to study the health effects of long-duration space flight using the perfect test subjects: identical twin astronauts. Scott and Mark Kelly, both former NASA astronauts, were born in the year 1964 and pursued remarkable careers in science that had them venturing off the planet multiple times.

Between 2015 and 2016, NASA embarked on a unique experiment, sending Scott Kelly into orbit for almost a year – 340 days to be precise, while his twin brother Mark, who shares an identical biological makeup, stayed on Earth. Although the duration of Scott’s mission was less than the record held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, the results of the experiment were still expected to be groundbreaking.

Scott Kelly was sent into space along with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, with their primary mission being “to understand how the human body reacts and adapts to the harsh environment of space,” as per NASA’s statement. During their time in the International Space Station, they conducted almost 400 experiments, all aimed at identifying any health risks that could possibly reduce the safety of future astronauts in long-duration space travels, particularly for missions beyond the Earth’s lower orbit, such as trips to Mars and beyond.

The twin brother Mark Kelly played a crucial part in this experiment. As he stayed on Earth during Scott’s 340 days in space, NASA aimed to compare the health of the brothers post the mission. Both underwent numerous tests, including blood, stool, urine, saliva testing, vision and cognitive testing, and physical exercise, before, during, and after Scott’s space mission.

The results of these tests were published in ‘The Twin Study’, revealing some incredible findings. As per Steven Platts, the deputy chief scientist with NASA’s Human Research Program, Scott did not experience any major long-term health problems that could be linked to long-duration space flights. Astonishingly, his immune system remained quite normal, with any stress-related issues returning to normal after landing back on Earth.

However, the study did reveal some unexpected results. For instance, the telomeres – the end parts of chromosomes which usually shorten as you age and serve as biomarkers for accelerated aging or risks like cancer or heart disease – lengthened in Scott’s white blood cells. This alteration in Scott’s telomeres was a surprise for NASA.

Overall, the results of the study showed “the resilience and robustness of the human body,” as stated by Steven Platts. Despite being evolved and trained in a one-gravity environment on Earth, our bodies adapt well in space and continue to function effectively. The majority of changes observed in Scott reverted back to their baseline soon after his return to Earth. The markers that did not revert are expected to guide future biomedical space research and potentially lead to safer journeys to and from Mars.

This unique study, leveraging the identical twins’ similar genetic makeup, has provided valuable insights into the physiological, molecular and cognitive changes that can occur in a human body during space flights. These findings are set to make significant contributions to our understanding of human health, not just in space but also on Earth.