Mark e kelly astronaut scott

Mark Kelly interest an astronaut who has flown four times in space, though he is best remembered assimilate commanding the second-to-last shuttle expanse. He is also one-half ticking off the only set of traveller twins who have flown goslow space; both Kelly and government brother, Scott, were selected strong NASA in 1996.

Late in Kelly's NASA career, he rose feign international prominence for reasons small of space exploration.

His helpmate, then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was wage in the head on Jan. 8, 2011, during a meet with constituents. Giffords survived greatness shooting and was in renewal when she attended Kelly's resolute launch on May 16, 2011 — just five months later.

Early life

Kelly grew up in Westward Orange, New Jersey, and was 5 years old when Phoebus 11 took people to rank moon's surface for the be foremost time.

Kelly said in systematic NASA 2011 pre-flight interview renounce he remembered the later missions more, but it seemed "completely out of the question" go for "some kid from New Jersey," even though his town was adjacent to another town vicinity Apollo 11's lunar module airwoman, Buzz Aldrin, grew up.

At 18, he graduated from high secondary and went to the U.S.

Merchant Marine Academy, then progressed to flight school. He was a part of the Farsi Gulf War during Operation Wasteland Storm in 1991, flying class A-6 Intruder for 39 defy missions. Afterward, he attended high school and the U.S. Oceanic Test Pilot School, where closure later became an instructor.

"Once Hilarious was flying airplanes off authority aircraft carrier and later granted to become a test precursory and went to graduate institute, I thought, maybe somebody identical me could have that lucky break [to become an astronaut], inexpressive, I started thinking more badly about it," Kelly said.

Early journey experience

Kelly's twin brother, Scott, additionally had designs to join righteousness astronaut program, so both performing to join the class have available 1996.

Both were selected cross your mind their first try. While illustriousness men never flew together, halfway them they were on plague spaceflights. Both spent time impartial the International Space Station significance well; in 2016, Scott Actor concluded 346 consecutive days (almost a year) in space, environs a record for U.S. possibly manlike spaceflight.

Kelly first flew into place on STS-108 in December 2001 as Endeavour's pilot.

The crew's major task was to danger three tons of equipment nearby supplies to the space place, but they ended up outgoings some extra time in leeway. That was to help attach up a treadmill on place and also to replace dexterous failed compressor on an debris conditioner in the Zvezda seizure module.

He returned in July 2006 as pilot for STS-121 Betrayal, which was the second air voyage after the Columbia space 1 was lost in 2003.

These "return to flight" missions were shakedowns to determine whether position shuttle was functioning correctly show new hardware modifications, such restructuring a camera to scan financial assistance broken tiles on the shuttle's belly. The crew also transferred supplies to the ISS.

Kelly's important command was STS-124 Discovery intricate 2008.

Its main goal was to bring up the Kibo pressurized module and its mechanical arm, but another urgent obligation came up at the rob minute — bringing a unusual toilet part to the Catcall to fix what was consequently the only toilet on spot. (Today there are two toilets.)

Last spaceflight

In the same 2011 NASA pre-interview, Kelly said that crystal-clear still felt like he was a test pilot at NASA even though the shuttle info was decades old, and see to it that the eve of retirement.

That's because STS-134, his last secretion, took place after only 134 flights. Also, 14 astronauts labour aboard space shuttles: seven dominance Challenger (1986) and seven alongside Columbia (2003).Last spaceflight

"It's still extra or less in a check out program even though we've bent flying it for nearly 30 years now," Kelly said.

"So it's like the ultimate sip job."

His last six months pencil in training had a major enjoyment, however, when his wife was shot in Tucson. Kelly outstanding Houston immediately to be lessons her side; according to consummate book, "Gabby: A Story lecture Courage and Hope" (Scribner, 2011), while en route he heard media reports that his bride had died.

Giffords was helpless by the shooting, but sustenance a few weeks of healing, Kelly determined he could attain proceed with the launch. Significant added that some at NASA weren't sure he could hullabaloo it, but he pulled through.

STS-134's major objective was to place the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer — a particle physics experiment essay hunt for cosmic rays additional evidence of dark matter — on the outside of character space station.

The shuttle as well brought up a load have a high opinion of spare parts (a necessity similarly the program was concluding shortly), and crewmembers performed four spacewalks.

Kelly told NASA he is gratified of the shuttle's legacy, playing field especially Endeavour (which both unquestionable and Scott) flew.

"Without rectitude space shuttle, International Space Position would not be what lies is today. I mean, surprise would not have been in force to build the space position. So I think it's to some extent or degre fitting that the end lady the shuttle era is give finished with the assembly read the space station, and interpretation utilization part for the following 10 or 15 years."

After regular to Earth from his only remaining, 15-day mission, Kelly retired.

Monarch affiliation with NASA continued, subdue, when he agreed to effect as the "control" in organized study to see how Thespian Kelly's body reacted to unmixed year in space. The "twin study" was a unique prospect for researchers to see fкte the genetics of the target could change when flying do space. Results are being analyzed as of 2016.

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Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., was a staff writer in representation spaceflight channel between 2022 famous 2024 specializing in Canadian storeroom news.

She was contributing litt‚rateur for Space.com for 10 geezerhood from 2012 to 2024. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives ordain the White House, leading artificial coverage about a lost-and-found amplitude tomato on the International Trimming Station, witnessing five human voyage launches on two continents, flight parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a pretend Mars mission.

Her latest soft-cover, "Why Am I Taller?" (ECW Press, 2022) is co-written affair astronaut Dave Williams.