When NASA decided to study identical twin astronauts — one remaining on Earth while the other orbited high above for nearly one year, starting in March 2015 — scientists were not sure what they would find.
When NASA decided to study identical twin astronauts — one remaining on Earth while the other orbited high above for nearly one year, starting in March 2015 — scientists were not sure what they would find.
Would Scott Kelly undergo a Benjamin Button or Interstellar-like effect, and return to Earth younger than his brother Mark?
Based on preliminary results released in January 2017, Colorado State University Professor Susan Bailey, who studies telomeres, or the protective “caps” on the ends of chromosomes, found that Scott’s telomeres in his white blood cells got longer while in space. Changes in telomere length could mean a person is at risk for accelerated aging or the diseases that come along with getting older. Telomeres typically shorten as a person ages.
These findings ran counter to what Bailey thought might occur, and are confirmed in “The NASA Twins Study: A multi-dimensional analysis of a year-long human spaceflight,” published in Science April 12.
Read more at Colorado State University
Image: Colorado State University Professor Susan Bailey studies telomeres, or the protective 'caps' on the ends of chromosomes. Telomeres typically shorten as a person ages. (Credit: John Eisele/Colorado State University)
