NASA 2015-2016 Scott/David Kelly Twin Study

PBS: Beaverton Library DVD 629.45 YEA

Scott Kelly launched on a Russian Soyuz to ISS in 2015, spent 340 days in microgravity and LEO radiation, and returned March 2nd, 2016. Hundreds of tests and biological samples collected. His monozygotic (identical) twin brother David spent that time at NASA JSC Houston, also being tested and sampled. The experience is reported on the two disk DVD above, and in a detailed paper in Science on 2019 12 April: Garrett-Bakelman (and 81 coauthors at 24 institutions), DOI 10.1126/science.aau8650 . The paper is a little annoying: "Space Scott"" is referred to as TW and "Ground David" is referred to as HR.

It might have been a more accurate experiment if David had eaten the same food, lived the same hours, did the same activities, etc. as Scott. That experiment would detect the difference due to space conditions, as opposed to the stress of performance, isolation, etc. A second twin study on the ground could measure the difference between a ground ISS simulation and everyday life.

Another important experiment requires an orbiting test environment we don't have yet; an experimental station offering centrifugal gravity. An accurate Mars mission simulation would include perhaps a year of

Quibbles aside, a 340 day orbital experiment is an important first step towards estimating the health risks of a 3 year round trip mission to Mars. Whether damage is due to unique conditions in space, or to mission stress, we can expect at least as much stress on a Mars mission.

1st video

Interviews Charles, Kruger, Mason