NASA Year-Long Space Mission Underway; Twins To Test Effects Of Long Zero-Gravity Exposure
MOUNTAIN VIEW (CBS SF) -- A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts hurtled into orbit Friday for a year-long mission to study the effects of extended time in space on the human body.
Cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka along with astronaut Scott Kelly lifted off aboard a Soyuz rocket launched from Kazakhstan Friday toward the International Space Station.
Kelly and Kornienko will be aboard the ISS for 342 days, nearly double the normal six-month missions space travelers usually last. Padalka will return to earth after six months.
On earth, Kelly's twin brother and retired astronaut Mark Kelly will participate in a number of comparative tests with his brother to see how genetically-similar people compare when one is subjected to long exposure to a zero-gravity environment.
NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View will be administering a number of experiments aboard the mission.
Long-duration spaceflight can causes changes to the eyes, muscle atrophy and bone loss, according to NASA. Being isolated and in an enclosed space can also have psychological effects, and NASA hopes to gather comprehensive research to better understand the risks of even longer human missions such as to Mars.
By the end of the 342-day mission, Scott Kelly will set a new U.S. spaceflight endurance records for longest single mission in space and most cumulative time in space.
Padalka will become the new record holder for most cumulative time spent in space by any human. Four other Russian astronauts have each flown missions lasting at least a year.