Astronaut Scott Kelly, and his twin brother (retired astronaut) Mark, are part of an ongoing NASA study examining the differences in immune responses to influenza and other pathogens while the twins resided in the disparate environments of earth and space. Biological samples were taken from each brother before, during, and after Scott’s latest mission to the International Space Station. Although additional analyses are needed, the preliminary findings are beginning to offer insights into immunity and the possibilities of extended human travel in space.

Click here to read the “first look” into this study on NASA’s News Outlet.