Twin Brothers to Perform Study Comparing Effects of Space Travel on Human Body

Twin brothers Mark and Scott Kelly did everything together growing up, serving as co-captains on their high school swim team and sitting side-by-side in AP Biology. Together they went on to become astronauts and are currently facing a year apart as Scott alone is slotted to spend a year on the International Space Station (ISS), while Mark watches from Earth.

Not to leave any opportunity wasted, however, the brothers presented a plan to NASA: why not turn the whole thing into an experiment?

According to New Scientist, John Charles, chief scientist of NASA's human research program, was talking to Scott when the astronaut suggested the idea of comparing any differences between he and his brother after the year was over.

The space agency loved the idea and in addition to its own tests has issued a call for other proposals.

"To capitalize on this unique opportunity, NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) are initiating a pilot demonstration project focused on the use of integrated human-omic analyses to better understand the biomolecular responses to the physical, physiological, and environmental stressors associated with spaceflight," the request document reads.

It further explains that the project is currently centered on comparing blood samples between the two twins, though it says "limited additional sampling," including saliva and stool, among other things, will be considered in the case that they either do not interfere with already established experiments. Furthermore, proposals must "require monozygous twins to illuminate one or more aspects of transient or long-term effects of spaceflight on humans."

In all, NASA says it will issue up to 10 awards for research proposals, each worth up to $50,000. The winners will be announced January 2014.

The yearlong mission and subsequent experiments are scheduled to begin when Scott, a veteran of two space shuttle flights and a six-month tour on the ISS, and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko launch in March 2015.

Mark Kelly, meanwhile, is a veteran of four space shuttle flights, two of which he commanded.