Either outer space is even weirder than we thought, or NASA has read a lot of comics about the Fantastic Four (in which four astronauts acquired superpowers after being exposed to "comic energy"). One way or another, according to a February 2018 statement from NASA, being in space could change your DNA forever.
The DNA change was confirmed by an experiment with identical twin astronauts, Scott and Mark Kelly, who were closely monitored for a year after Scott Kelly returned from nearly a year on the International Space Station on March 2, 2016.
The study of the twins was part of a large Project Human Research program to study the effects of outer space on the human body. The study is being carried out in preparation for a possible flight of a group of colonists to Mars in the future, during which people will be in outer space for a long time in a ship on their way to the red planet.
Kelly's 54-year-old identical twins, like all identical twins, have exactly the same DNA, making them ideal candidates for the experiment. Moreover, identical twins are even less common among astronauts than among representatives of other professions.
Scott Kelly spent 340 days in space without interruption, while his brother Mark had four, but short-term flights (a total of only 54 days). During the study and observation of the brothers, any changes in the appearance and in the work of the internal organs were taken into account, and what turned out in the end looks rather strange.
Although many of Scott Kelly's physical changes (such as height) returned to normal after a year on Earth, he was found to have permanent changes in DNA. It turned out that about 7% of Scott Kelly's DNA was permanently altered.
Based on this, NASA concluded that there is a certain "space gene" that is activated / changed only after a person gets into conditions of being in space, which led to a change in Scott Kelly's DNA.
Among the 7% of genes that were altered were genes associated with the immune system, bone formation, hypoxia (oxygen deprivation), and hypercapnia (excess CO2 in the blood). Moreover, it is not indicated whether the changes were positive or they led to a deterioration in the health and well-being of Scott Kelly.
Promotional video:
Scott Kelly on the ISS.
There were other changes as well. During Scott Kelly's time on the ISS, his gut bacteria changed, but returned to normal when he returned to earth. And scientists do not know what was the reason for this, differences in the types of food, the influence of the environment or the presence of some radiation.
Scientists also studied the mental abilities of Scott Kelly and found that he did not have any changes after getting from Earth to the ISS, but after returning from the ISS there was a slight decrease in the level of mental abilities. Maybe this happened due to the return from a calm and quiet space to a noisy and busy modern city.
Scott Kelly himself admits that about the fact that his DNA has changed by 7%, he himself lamented in the newspaper like any ordinary reader, and that for him all this seems a little strange.
The full results of the Kelly twins study will be published later.