Year in space changes astronaut’s genes

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is not the man he used to be — at least genetically speaking. His genetic expression has changed, according to preliminary results from a NASA study that compared the bodily changes between the astronaut and his identical twin, who stayed on Earth while Kelly was aboard the International Space Station.

While 93 percent of his genetic expression has returned to normal, several hundred “space genes” have remained altered, the data suggests.

NASA said this could indicate “longer term changes” in the genes caused by the stresses of spaceflight.