![]() Other teams examined which genes were turned on and producing a molecule called mRNA (transcriptomics). ![]() Some teams evaluated the impact of space on the genome – the entire complement of DNA in a cell (genomics). Studies included molecular, physiological and behavioral measures, and for the first time ever in astronauts, “omics”-based studies. NASA put out a call and selected 10 peer-reviewed investigations from around the country for the TWINS Study. NASA/Bill Ingalls Teasing apart health effects of space living One day before astronaut Scott Kelly reaches the six-month mark in space, he talks live from onboard the ISS with John Hughs, left, his twin brother Mark Kelly and Astronaut Terry Virts, right. Scott would spend a year in space aboard the International Space Station, while his identical twin brother, Mark, would remain on Earth. ![]() Remarkably, the Kelly twins were individuals of similar “nature (genetics) and nurture (environment),” and so the perfect space experiment was conceived – featuring “space twin and Earth twin” as the stars. At a press conference not long thereafter, it was Scott who hinted that that this mission might provide the chance to compare the impact of space living on his body with his Earth-dwelling identical twin brother, Mark Kelly, who had also been an astronaut and former Navy test pilot. In November of 2012, NASA selected astronaut Scott Kelly for its first one-year mission. The opportunity to explore these intriguing questions arose with identical twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly. How space travel and long-duration missions might change the human body, and whether those changes are permanent or reversible once astronauts return to Earth, is largely unknown. But what about the human body’s response to real-life spaceflight – what are the health effects? Will space travelers age at different rates than those of us on Earth? Just how adaptable to the space environment are we?Ĭertainly these are concerns for NASA. One need look no further than Hollywood blockbusters like “ The Martian,” “ Gravity” and “ Interstellar” for futuristic visions of life beyond Earth as we venture longer and deeper into outer space. Traveling at approximately 17,000 miles per hour, 300 miles above the Earth, astronauts watch 16 sunrises and sunsets every “day” while floating around in a box with a handful of people they depend on for survival. Let’s promote harmony with nature and the Earth.Daily life aboard the International Space Station moves fast. But we will only succeed if everyone plays a part.įor this International Mother Earth Day, let's remimd ourselves - more than ever - that we need a shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. Restoring our damaged ecosystems will help to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass extinction. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. ![]() This is the second Mother Earth Day celebrated within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Even these days, we are still trying to get back on track from COVID-19, a worldwide health pandemic linked to the health of our ecosystem.Ĭlimate change, man-made changes to nature as well as crimes that disrupt biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can accelerate the speed of destruction of the planet. Extreme heat, wildfires and floods, have affected millions of people. ![]() Oceans filling with plastic and turning more acidic. Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action. ![]()
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