NASA TV Airs Interview with Twin Astronauts; Kelly Brothers Scheduled to Be in Space Together

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Aug 27, 2010, 09:00 ET

HOUSTON, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Interview footage of two NASA astronauts scheduled next year to become the first twins to rendezvous in space is available on NASA Television and the agency's website.

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Mark Kelly will command the last scheduled space shuttle flight, while his twin brother Scott Kelly will be in command of the International Space Station. During the interview, they discuss growing up in West Orange, N.J., their paths to becoming astronauts, and the possibilities of a joint mission in space.

The Kellys, both captains in the U.S. Navy, were born Feb. 21, 1964, in Orange, N.J. Scott has flown on two prior shuttle missions, as pilot of STS-103 in 1999 and commander of STS-118 in 2007. Mark is a veteran of three prior shuttle missions, as pilot of STS-108 in 2001 and STS-121 in 2006, and commander of STS-124 in 2008.

Scott is scheduled to launch to the space station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 7 for a six-month-long mission aboard the complex. He will serve as flight engineer for Expedition 25 and commander for Expedition 26.

Mark, commander of shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, is scheduled to visit the station in February to deliver supplies and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. The device will study the universe's origin by searching for antimatter, dark matter, and strange matter, and by measuring cosmic rays. If the launch schedule doesn't change, the pair would be working together in orbit for eight days before the shuttle undocks and returns to Earth.

To read highlights from the interview, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/kellybrothers.html

NASA TV will air the interview Friday at 10 a.m. EDT, 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. For additional air times and streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Scott and Mark Kelly also are sharing their experiences via their respective Twitter accounts. Follow Mark at:

http://twitter.com/shuttlecdrkelly

Follow Scott at:

http://twitter.com/stationcdrkelly

For complete biographical information about Scott and Mark Kelly, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios

SOURCE NASA