Astronaut Twins Rendezvous in Space

Scott and Mark Kelly plan an out-of-this-world trip

18 August 2010

Astronauts Mark Kelly (right) and twin Scott Kelly (left) will rendezvous at the International Space Station in late February 2011.

Like most twins, Scott Kelly says he and his brother, Mark, shared a lot as kids, even taking the same part-time jobs in high school.

"When we were 17 years old we worked for the same ambulance company. I think that at one point we even made pizzas together probably when we were about 15."

Mark Kelly adds that the two also embarked on parallel careers.

"We both became pilots in the navy flying off of aircraft carriers. I flew the A-6 Intruder; Scott, the F-14 Tom Cat and later became test pilots and a lot of test pilots become interested in the space program."

They both began astronaut training in 1996. Since then the men have made multiple space flights, but never together.

NASA's twin brother astronauts are scheduled to meet up at the International Space Station.

That will change early next year when the two astronauts rendezvous at the International Space Station. Scott will be in command when Mark docks aboard a supply mission on the Space Shuttle Endeavor.

Scott says beyond the publicity surrounding their flights - with all those references to the Gemini twins of the ancient Zodiac signs, the brothers know there's work to be done.