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For other people named Mark Kelly (disambiguation), see Mark Kelly (disambiguation) (disambiguation).
Mark Edward Kelly
Official NASA photo of Kelly
Born (1964-02-21) February 21, 1964 (age 60)
Orange, New Jersey
StatusActive
NationalityAmerican
SpouseGabrielle Giffords
Space career
NASA Astronaut
RankCaptain, USN
Time in space
38d 8h 25m
Selection1996 NASA Group
MissionsSTS-108, STS-121, STS-124
Mission insignia

Captain Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American astronaut in the Space Shuttle Program and a naval aviator who flew combat missions during the Gulf War. He was selected to become a NASA shuttle pilot in 1996 and flew his first mission in 2001 as pilot of STS-108. He piloted STS-121 in 2006 and commanded space shuttle Discovery's mission STS-124 in 2008. His current assignment is as commander of the upcoming mission STS-134, the final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour with a target launch date of April 19, 2011.[1]

Kelly is married to U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the target of an attempted assassination in Tucson, Arizona, on January 8, 2011. After the shooting, which killed six people, both Kelly and Giffords were thrust into the media spotlight.[2] His wife's shooting led to a broad national conversation ranging from the duties of a husband to what is acceptable civil discourse.[3] Kelly's identical twin brother, Scott J. Kelly, is also an astronaut and is currently serving as commander of International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 26.[4] The Kelly brothers are the only siblings who have both traveled in space.[5]

Early life and education

Mark Edward Kelly[6] is the son of Richard and Patricia Kelly, two retired police officers.[7] He was born in Orange, New Jersey on February 21, 1964 and raised in West Orange, New Jersey. Kelly graduated from Mountain High School in 1982. He received a B.S. degree in marine engineering and nautical science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy graduating with highest honors in 1986. In 1994, he received an M.S. degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.[8]

In December 1987, Kelly became a naval aviator and received initial training on the A-6E attack aircraft. He was then assigned to VA-115 (Attack Squadron 115) in Atsugi, Japan, and made two deployments to the Persian Gulf on the aircraft carrier USS Midway flying 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. After receiving his master's degree he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School from June 1993 to June 1994. He has logged more than 5,000 hours in more than 50 different aircraft and has over 375 carrier landings.[8]

Kelly remains on active duty. He is on loan to NASA and holds the rank of Captain in the U.S. Navy. He is the recipient of the following awards: two Defense Superior Service Medals; four Air Medals (two individual/two strike flight) with Combat "V"; two Navy Commendation Medals, one with combat "V"); one Navy Achievement Medal; two Southwest Asia Service Medals; one Navy Expeditionary Medal; two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons; and an Overseas Service Ribbon.[8]

NASA career

Mark Kelly and his brother Scott were both selected to be shuttle pilots by NASA in 1996. They joined the astronaut corps in August of that year. Mark Kelly has logged over 38 days in space.[8]

During his 2006 flight on Space Shuttle Discovery, the second mission after the loss of Columbia, Kelly discussed the risks of flying the space shuttle:

The space shuttle's a very complex machine. It's got a lot of moving parts that move and operate at pretty much the limit of what we've been able to engineer. Spaceflight is risky. I think with regards to the tank, we've reduced some of the risk there. We've changed the design a little bit and we've made some pretty big strides in trying to get foam not to shed from the tank anymore. So there is some risk reduction there and I guess overall the risk is probably a little less. But this is a risky business, but it's got a big reward. Everybody on board Discovery and the space station here thinks it's worthwhile.[9]

Spaceflight experience

STS-108

Main article: STS-108
Photo of STS-108 commander Dominic L. Gorie and Pilot Mark Kelly.
STS-108 commander Dominic L. Gorie and Mark Kelly, in their stations during rendezvous operations with the International Space Station.

Kelly's first trip into space was as pilot of STS-108. After several delays, Endeavour lifted off on December 5, 2001, on the final shuttle mission of 2001.[10]

STS-108 Endeavour visited the ISS, delivering over three tons of equipment, supplies, and a fresh crew to the orbiting outpost.[8] The hatches were opened between Endeavour and the ISS Destiny Laboratory on December 7, enabling the ten crew members to greet one another. The Expedition 3 crew officially ended their 117-day residency on board the International Space Station on December 8 as their custom Soyuz seat-liners were transferred to Endeavour for the return trip home. The transfer of the Expedition 4 seat-liners to the Soyuz return vehicle attached to the station marked the official exchange of crews.[10]

Kelly and Mission Specialist Linda Godwin used the shuttle's robotic arm to lift the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module from the shuttle payload bay and attach it to a berth on the station's Unity node. The crews began unloading supplies the same day. Mission managers extended Endeavour's flight duration to 12 days to allow the crew to assist with additional maintenance tasks on the station, including work on a treadmill and replacing a failed compressor in one of the air conditioners in the Zvezda Service Module. A change of command ceremony took place on December 13 as Expedition 3 ended and Expedition 4 began. STS-108 returned to Earth with the previous ISS crew of three men.[10]

Kelly traveled over 4.8 million miles and orbited the earth 186 times over 11 days and 19+ hours.[10]

STS-121

Main article: STS-121
Photo STS-121 crew.
Kelly (center) surrounded by Piers J. Sellers (right), Michael E. Fossum (left), cosmonaut Pavel V. Vinogradov[11] (center left) and Stephanie D. Wilson (center right).

In July 2006 Kelly served as pilot for STS-121 Discovery, the second "Return to Flight" mission following the loss of Columbia in February 2003. Because of weather delays, STS-121 became the first Shuttle mission to launch on the Fourth of July.[12]

The main purposes of the mission were to test new safety and repair techniques introduced following the Columbia disaster as well as to deliver supplies, equipment, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Reiter from Germany to the ISS. The transfer of Reiter to the ISS returned the station to a three crew member staffing level.[13]

During the STS-121 mission to the ISS, the crew of Discovery continued to test new equipment and procedures for the inspection and repair of the thermal protection system that is designed to increase the safety of the Shuttles. It also delivered more supplies and cargo for future ISS expansion.

After the Columbia accident, NASA decided that two test flights would be required and that activities that were originally assigned to STS-114 would need to be divided into two missions because of the addition of post-Columbia safety tests.[13]

Gabrielle Giffords, Kelly's girlfriend at the time, picked one of the wake-up songs for the mission: “Beautiful Day" by U2.[14]

Kelly traveled over 5.28 million miles and orbited the Earth 202 times over 12 days and 18+ hours.[8]

STS-124

Main article: STS-124
Photo STS-124 in front of NASA Astrovan before liftoff at Kennedy Space Center.
Kelly with his crew at the Kennedy Space Center just prior to boarding the shuttle.

STS-124 Discovery was Kelly's first mission as commander. A month prior to liftoff he discussed what being a shuttle commander entailed and how it was different from his previous missions:

My first two flights I was the pilot. Being the commander is different in that you’re responsible for the overall mission . . . . You have to worry about the whole thing, the training drill your other crew members are getting, mission success, and mission safety. So it is a more comprehensive job and requires more time. I’m really a little bit surprised at how much more there is to it. But I think it’s more rewarding as well.[15]

The mission was the second of three shuttle missions to carry components of Japan's Kibo laboratory to the ISS. Kibo means hope in Japanese. The laboratory is Japan's primary contribution to the ISS.[16]

Just prior to liftoff Kelly said: "While we've all prepared for this event today, the discoveries from Kibo will definitely offer hope for tomorrow. Now stand by for the greatest show on Earth."[17]

During the launch, Launch Pad 39A sustained substantial damage, more than had been seen on any previous launch. Following liftoff, inspectors discovered that bricks and mortar from the launch pad's base had been thrown as far as the perimeter fence, a distance of 1,500 feet (457 m).[18]

Kelly and his crew delivered the pressurized module for Kibo to the ISS. The module is the largest component of the Kibo laboratory and the station's largest habitable module.[16] Discovery also delivered Kibo's Remote Manipulator System.[16] Perhaps the most important part they delivered was a replacement part for the station's toilet. The single toilet on the ISS had been malfunctioning for a week, creating a potentially serious problem for the crew.[19] When Kelly first entered the station, he joked, "You looking for a plumber?", referring to the broken toilet.[19]

This mission marked the first time a spouse of a member of the U.S. Congress traveled to space.[20] Kelly traveled over 5.7 million miles, and orbited the earth 218 times over 13 days and 18 hours.[8]

Pending mission

STS-134

Main article: STS-134
Mission poster, based on a Star Trek promotional poster.
Mission poster, based on a Star Trek promotional poster.[21]

Kelly is the commander of space shuttle mission STS-134 Endeavour, which is to be its last voyage. He and his crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the ISS. AMS is a 15,000 lb cosmic particle detector that will be installed on the outside of the space station. Its experiments will help researchers study the formation of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter and antimatter.[22]

Due to delays caused by external tank issues on STS-133 Discovery, the launch date of STS-134 was also pushed back.[23] When Scott Kelly went to the ISS on October 7, 2010, STS-134 was scheduled to go to the station during Scott's mission. The potential rendezvous in space of the Kelly brothers would have been a first meeting of blood relatives in space.[24] The delay of the launch of STS-134 ended the possibility of that happening.

After the shooting of his wife, his status as commander of STS-134 was unclear, but NASA announced on February 4 that Kelly would remain as commander of the mission. The remarkable progress his wife was making in her recovery helped Kelly make the decision to return to training.[25] Peggy Whitson of NASA stated "we are confident in his ability to successfully lead this mission, and I know I speak for all of NASA in saying 'welcome back.'"[26]

The target launch date is April 19, 2011.

Personal life

Photo of Kelly and wife Gabrielle Giffords in 2008.
Kelly and wife Gabrielle Giffords in 2008.

Kelly married U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Tucson, Arizona on November 10, 2007, in a ceremony presided over by Rabbi Stephanie Aaron, and attended by his STS-124 shuttle crew and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Reich toasted: "To a bride who moves at a velocity that exceeds that of anyone else in Washington, and a groom who moves at a velocity that exceeds 17,000 miles per hour."[14] The couple met on a 2003 trip to China as part of a trade mission sponsored by the National Committee on U.S.–China Relations.[27]

Kelly has two teenage daughters, Claudia and Claire, from an earlier marriage which ended in divorce.[28] He and his daughters live in Houston,[29] where he trains for NASA missions,[30] while Giffords commutes between Washington, D.C. and Tucson. They try to be together every other weekend.[28] At the time of their marriage Kelly said that the longest period of time the two had spent together in one stretch was a couple of weeks. He said that they didn't plan to always live that way, but that's what they were used to. He added, "It teaches you not to sweat the small stuff."[14]

Kelly is the only active-duty military spouse of a sitting member of Congress.[31]

Shooting in Tucson

See also: Gabrielle Giffords § Attempted assassination
Photo of Kelly holding his wife's hand at the University Medical Center on January 9, 2011.
Kelly holding his wife's hand at the University Medical Center on January 9, 2011.

Kelly's wife, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, was shot in an assassination attempt on January 8, 2011,[32] putting Kelly in the national spotlight. On February 4 Kelly described the previous month as the hardest time of his life[33] and he expressed his gratitude for the enormous outpouring of support, good wishes and prayers for his wife. He said that he believed people praying for her helped.[34]

Kelly received word that his wife had been shot from an aide of the Congresswoman's almost immediately after the shooting. He flew from Houston to Tucson with members of his family. While en route the Kellys received an erroneous news report that Giffords had died. "The kids, Claudia and Claire started crying. My mother, she almost screamed. I just walked into the bathroom, and you know, broke down." Calling family in Tucson, Kelly found out that the report was false and that she was alive and in surgery. "It was a terrible mistake," Kelly said, "as bad as it was that she had died, it's equally exciting that she hadn't."[35]

From the time he arrived in Tucson, Kelly sat vigil at his wife's bedside as she struggled to survive and began to recover. As her condition began to improve, the Kelly-Giffords family researched options for rehabilitation facilities, and chose a center in Houston. On January 21, Giffords was transferred to an ICU unit at the Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center Hospital[36] where she spent five days prior to moving to Memorial Hermann's Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, where she continued her recovery and rehabilitation.[37]

Giffords and her husband had spoken dozens of times about how risky her job was. She was afraid that someone would come up to her at a public event with a gun. In an interview filmed just over a week after the shooting Kelly said "She has Tombstone, Arizona in her district, the town that's too tough to die. Gabrielle Giffords is too tough to let this beat her."[35]

Aftermath

Kelly and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at Tucson memorial service.
Kelly and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at Tucson memorial service.

A memorial service for those killed was held on January 12, 2011 at the University of Arizona. President Barack Obama flew to Tucson to speak at the memorial. Kelly sat between Michelle Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, the previous governor of Arizona. At the end of the service President Obama consoled and embraced him, after which Kelly returned to the hospital to be with his wife.[38]

Kelly spoke on February 3, 2011 at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. His remarks closed the event where President Obama also spoke. The attack on his wife brought Kelly closer to God and gave him a newfound awareness regarding prayer. Kelly said that prior to the attack, "I thought the world just spins and the clock just ticks and things happen for no particular reason." Kelly said that in Tucson, as he found himself wandering in makeshift memorials and shrines, filled with bibles and angels that "You pray where you are. You pray when God is there in your heart."[39] Kelly offered the final prayer of the morning. The prayer was from Rabbi Stephanie Aaron, who married Kelly and Giffords, and who said the same words over Giffords’ on the night of the shooting:

In the name of God, our God of Israel, may Michael, God's angel messenger of compassion, watch over your right side. May Gabriel God's angel messenger of strength and courage, be on your left. And before you, guiding your path, Uriel, God's angel of light and behind you, supporting you, stands Raphael, God's angel of healing. And over your head, surrounding you, is the presence of the divine.[39]

Kelly believes that there's now a chance to change a political environment he thinks is filled with far too much vitriol. He hoped that the tragedy would also be an opportunity to improve the tone of our national dialogue and cool down the rhetoric.[35] In response to a question on February 4 regarding the discussions about civility in politics Kelly said: "I haven’t spent a lot of time following that but I think that with something that was so horrible and so negative and the fact that six people lost their lives, including a nine-year old girl, a federal judge, Gabby’s staff member Gabe--who was like a younger brother to her--it’s really really a sad situation. I am hopeful that something positive can come out of it. I think that will happen, so those are good things."[34]

References

  1. ^ NASA Updates Shuttle Target Launch Dates For Two Flights NASA Press Release, January 13, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  2. ^ Tolson, Mike (January 17, 2011). "Their toughest mission yet, Shooting of Gabrielle Giffords thrusts her husband and brother-in-law, both astronauts, into an unfamiliar spotlight". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  3. ^ Barry, Dan (February 4, 2011). "Public Drawn to Choice by Giffords's Husband". New York Times. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  4. ^ "Expedition 25 and 26, a New Decade Begins" NASA Press Kit, October 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  5. ^ Sanders, Craig (April, 1999). "Twins in Outer Space". Twinstuff.com. Retrieved February 8, 2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Cruikshank, Jeffrey L.; Kline, Chloë G. (2008). In peace and war: a history of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point. John Wiley and Sons. p. 530. ISBN 9780470136010. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  7. ^ Lehren, Marilyn (January 8, 2011). "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is married to West Orange native Mark Kelly". The Caldwells Patch. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Biographical Data: Mark E. Kelly (Captain, USN)". NASA. October 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  9. ^ "Transcript of Associated Press Interview via NASA". AP and NASA. July 11, 2006. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  10. ^ a b c d "NASA Mission Archives, STS-108". NASA. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  11. ^ Expedition 13 commander representing Russia's Federal Space Agency.
  12. ^ Boyle, Alan (July 4, 2006). "NASA counts down to 4th of July launch". MSNBC. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  13. ^ a b "STS-121 Nasa Press Kit" (PDF). NASA. May 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  14. ^ a b c Anderson, Judith (December 2, 2007). "Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly". New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  15. ^ Preflight Interview: Mark Kelly, Commander, NASA, April 29, 2008.
  16. ^ a b c "NASA Mission Summary, STS-124" (PDF). NASA. May 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  17. ^ Moskowitz, Clara (May 31, 2008). "Shuttle Discovery Launches Space Station's Largest Lab". Space.com. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  18. ^ Moskowitz, Clara (June 2, 2008). "NASA Eyes Launch Pad Damage for Next Shuttle Flight". Space.com. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  19. ^ a b Schwartz, John (June 15, 2008). "Shuttle Returns After 14-Day Mission". New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  20. ^ Faherty, John (June 1, 2008). "Congresswoman's husband now in orbit". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  21. ^ Nancy Atkinson (March 17, 2010). "STS-134 Does Star Trek with New Poster". www.universetoday.com. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  22. ^ NASA Assigns Crew for STS-134 Shuttle Mission, Change to STS-132 NASA Press Release, August 11, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  23. ^ Harwood, William (January 15, 2011). "Shuttle Discovery's lead spacewalker hurt in accident". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  24. ^ Dunn, Marcia (September 10, 2010). "Space double: Astronaut twins to join up in orbit". MSNBC. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  25. ^ Dunn, Marcia (February 4, 2011). "Husband: Giffords would embrace flight decision". Associated Press. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  26. ^ "NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly Resumes Training For STS-134 Mission". NASA Press release. February 4, 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  27. ^ Golodryga, Bianna (11 January 2011). "Gabrielle Giffords Makes Strong Recovery as Husband Mark Kelly Keeps Vigil". ABC News. Retrieved 9 February 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ a b Reagor, Katherine (January 9, 2011). "Gabrielle Giffords cares more about serving than safety". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  29. ^ Shauk, Zain (25 January 2011). "Gabrielle Giffords' husband considers shuttle flight". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  30. ^ Hayden, Troy (January 19, 2011). "One-on-One with Mark Kelly, Giffords' Husband". FOX 26 / KRIV Houston. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  31. ^ "About Gabrielle Giffords". Gabrielle Giffords for Congress. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  32. ^ Lacey, Marc (January 9, 2011). "In Attack's Wake, Political Repercussions". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-01-12. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  33. ^ "Giffords' husband says attempt on her life deepened his faith". Deccan Herald. February 4, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  34. ^ a b "Kelly to Fly on Shuttle Mission". NASA TV. February 4, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  35. ^ a b c Blackburn, Bradley (January 18, 2011). "Gabrielle Giffords' Husband Mark Kelly Says She Feared She Would Be Shot". ABC News. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  36. ^ Stanglin, Douglas (January 21, 2011). "Giffords arrives in Houston to begin rehab". USA Today. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  37. ^ "U.S. Rep. Giffords moved to TIRR Memorial Hermann". Associated Press. January 26, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  38. ^ Cooper, Helene (January 12, 2011). "Obama Calls for a New Era of Civility in U.S. Politics". New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  39. ^ a b Grossman, Cathy Lynn (February 4, 2011). "Mark Kelly finds God, angels after Tucson tragedy". USA Today. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
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