After living for nearly a year aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is two inches taller than his identical twin brother Mark.
One of the main goals of his groundbreaking mission is to study how well humans can endure — mind, body and spirit — on a long-duration spaceflight.
Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko (L), Sergey Volkov of Roscosmos (C), and Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly of NASA (R) rest in chairs outside the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft just minutes after they landed in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, March 2, 2016.BILL INGALLS / NASA via AFP - Getty Images file
Meanwhile — here’s what National Space Biomedical Research Institute and NASA tells us they’ll be on the lookout for:
What a Year in Space Can Do to Your Body
BRITTLE BONES
👉Astronauts no longer walk to get in the spacecraft, they float so the bones in the legs, hips and spine experience a significant decrease in load bearing.
👉This leads to bone breakdown and a release of calcium, leaving the bone more brittle and weak.
👉The release of calcium can also increase the risk of kidney stone formation and bone fractures
WEAK MUSCLES
👉Extended spaceflight results in less work for the legs and back: muscles can begin to weaken or atrophy, and this could lead to fall-related injuries and accidents during exploration missions.
PUFFY FACE AND LEGS
👉In space, blood is flowing more in the upper part of the body and a little less in the lower extremities.
👉While in space, astronauts often have a puffy face and the legs that are smaller in circumference.
SMALLER HEART
👉The heart doesn’t have to work as hard up there: Over time, this could lead to a decrease in the size of the heart.
👉There is also a concern that space radiation may affect endothelial cells, the lining of blood vessels, which might initiate or accelerate coronary heart disease.
BALANCE ISSUES
👉The inner ear, which is sensitive to gravity, no longer functions correctly. Early in the mission, astronauts can experience disorientation, space motion sickness and a loss of sense of direction.
👉Upon return to Earth, they must readjust to Earth’s gravity and can experience problems standing up, stabilizing their gaze, walking and turning.
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