Article Posted on : - Oct 10, 2010

The International Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA (AP): The stars may have finally aligned for the world's only space sibling team.

Astronaut Scott Kelly is circling the planet, fresh into a 5 -month space station mission. His identical twin, Mark, will join him next year, if NASA's shuttle schedule holds up.

Together, they will become the first blood relatives to meet up in space.

"It's something we hoped would happen," Mark said. "It wasn't done by design. But we're fortunate. I think it will be fun for us."

Scott is the International Space Station's next commander. He took off aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket early Friday texting and joking with his brother right until launch and arrived at the orbiting complex yesterday night.

Mark is space shuttle Endeavour's next commander. He's due to take off at the end of February and knock on the space station door March 1. It's currently slated to be NASA's last shuttle flight.

Mark couldn't resist a little twin humour in a congratulatory call to his brother at the space station.

"Hey Mark, this is Scott," Mark radioed from Mission Control outside Moscow. "You know, six months is a long time in space. So thanks for switching spots with me. Just hope I can remember how to fly that space shuttle."

Don't expect any handshakes when the Kellys unite more than 200 miles (320 kilometres) up. The 46-year-old brothers Navy captains and former fighter pilots have never shaken each other's hands and don't plan to start just because the space station cameras are rolling.