Mark Kelly

Last updated

Amelia Babis
​
​
(m. 1989;div. 2004)​
Gabby Giffords
​
(m. 2007)​
Mark Kelly
Mark Kelly, Official Portrait 117th.jpg
Official portrait, 2021
United States Senator
from Arizona
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 2, 2020
Servingwith Kyrsten Sinema
Children2
Relatives Scott Kelly (twin brother)
Education United States Merchant Marine Academy (BS)
Naval Postgraduate School (MS)
Signature Senator Mark Kelly Signature.png
Website Senate website
Military service
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1986–2011
Rank Captain
Battles/wars Gulf War
Space career
NASA astronaut
Time in space
54d 2h 4m
Selection NASA Group 16 (1996)
Missions STS-108
STS-121
STS-124
STS-134
Mission insignia
 STS-108 Patch.svg STS-121 patch.svg STS-124 patch.svg STS-134 Patch.svg
RetirementOctober 1, 2011 [2]
Mark Kelly's voice
Mark Kelly questions witnesses on water affordability
Recorded May 31, 2023

Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, retired astronaut, and United States Navy captain. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the junior U.S. senator from Arizona since 2020. In 2022, he won reelection to a full term.

Contents

Kelly flew combat missions during the Gulf War as a naval aviator before being selected as a NASA Space Shuttle pilot in 1996. He flew his first space mission in 2001 as pilot of STS-108, then piloted STS-121 in 2006, and commanded STS-124 in 2008 and STS-134 (the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour) in 2011. In January 2011, Kelly's wife, then-Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords, was shot and nearly killed in an assassination attempt in Arizona. Kelly retired from the Navy and NASA that October. In 2013, Kelly and Giffords founded a nonprofit political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions (later merged into Giffords), which campaigned for gun control measures like universal background checks.

On February 12, 2019, Kelly announced his candidacy for Arizona's Class 3 U.S. Senate seat in the 2020 special election. [a] He won the Democratic primary on August 4, 2020, and defeated incumbent Republican Martha McSally in the general election on November 3, becoming the first Democrat to win this seat since 1962. Kelly was sworn in on December 2. In 2022, he was elected to a full term in office, defeating Republican challenger Blake Masters. Independent Kyrsten Sinema's departure from the Senate in January 2025 will make Kelly the senior senator from Arizona. [3] He was reportedly one of the three leading contenders for the Democratic vice presidential nomination in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, along with Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota governor Tim Walz. [4] Presidential nominee Kamala Harris chose Walz. [5]

Early life and education

Mark Kelly [6] and identical twin brother, Scott Kelly, are sons of Richard and Patricia (née McAvoy) Kelly, two retired police officers. [7] [8] Kelly is of Irish descent. [9] He was born on February 21, 1964, in Orange, New Jersey, and raised in West Orange, New Jersey. Kelly graduated from Mountain High School in 1982. In 1986, he took highest honors in a marine engineering and nautical science BSc from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. In 1994, he received a MSc in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. [10]

In December 1987, Kelly became a naval aviator and received initial training on the A-6E Intruder attack aircraft. He was then assigned to Attack Squadron 115 (VA-115) at NAF Atsugi in Kanagawa, Japan. He was deployed twice with VA-115 to the Persian Gulf aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway, which was homeported at Naval Station Yokosuka in Yokosuka, Japan. During Operation Desert Storm, Kelly flew 39 combat missions. After the Gulf War, Kelly received his master's degree and then attended U.S. Naval Test Pilot School from 1993 to 1994. As a naval aviator and test pilot, he has logged over 5,000 hours in more than 50 different aircraft and trapped over 375 carrier landings. [10]

During his Navy career, Kelly received two Defense Superior Service Medals; one Legion of Merit; two Distinguished Flying Crosses; 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; a NASA Distinguished Service Medal; and an Overseas Service Ribbon. [10] [11]

On June 21, 2011, Kelly announced his retirement from both the Navy and NASA, effective October 1, citing Gabby Giffords's needs during her recovery from the attempt on her life that January. [2]

NASA career (1996–2011)

Kelly's official NASA portrait, 2005 Mark E. Kelly.jpg
Kelly's official NASA portrait, 2005

NASA selected both Kelly and his identical twin, Scott Kelly, to be Space Shuttle pilots in 1996. They joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in August of that year. [10] They are the only siblings to have both traveled into orbit. [12] [13]

Spaceflight experience

STS-108

STS-108 Commander Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie and Pilot Mark Kelly, in their stations during rendezvous operations with the International Space Station, 2001 STS-108 Dominic Gorie and Mark Kelly in Endeavour's cockpit.jpg
STS-108 Commander Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie and Pilot Mark Kelly, in their stations during rendezvous operations with the International Space Station, 2001

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. [14]

STS-108 Endeavour visited the ISS, delivering over three tons of equipment, supplies, and a fresh crew to the orbiting outpost. [10] The hatches were opened between Endeavour and the ISS Destiny Laboratory on December 7, enabling the 10 crew members to greet one another. The Expedition 3 crew officially ended their 117-day residency on board the ISS 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. [14]

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. [14]

Kelly traveled over 4.8 million miles and orbited the Earth 186 times over 11 days and 19+ hours. [14]

STS-121

Kelly (center) surrounded by Piers J. Sellers (right), Michael E. Fossum (left), cosmonaut Pavel V. Vinogradov (center left) and Stephanie D. Wilson (center right), 2006 STS-121 ISS-13 EVA-2 preparations in the Quest airlock.jpg
Kelly (center) surrounded by Piers J. Sellers (right), Michael E. Fossum (left), cosmonaut Pavel V. Vinogradov (center left) and Stephanie D. Wilson (center right), 2006

In July 2006, Kelly piloted STS-121 Discovery, the second "Return to Flight" mission after 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. [16] In 2006, Kelly discussed the risks aboard 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. [17]

The mission's main purposes were to test new safety and repair techniques introduced after the Columbia disaster and to deliver supplies, equipment, and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter from Germany to the ISS. Reiter's transfer returned the ISS to a three-member staffing level. [18]

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 shuttles' safety. 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 originally assigned to STS-114 would be divided into two missions because of the addition of post-Columbia safety tests. [18]

Gabby Giffords, Kelly's girlfriend at the time, picked one of the mission's wake-up songs, U2's "Beautiful Day". [19] During the U2 360° Tour, Kelly often appeared on screen from the International Space Station during the song's introduction, greeting the city the band was playing in and asking the crowd to "tell my wife I love her very much, she knows" [20] —a reference to David Bowie's "Space Oddity"; the tour's staging was often called the "space station". [21]

Kelly traveled over 5.28 million miles and orbited the Earth 202 times over 12 days and 18+ hours. [10]

STS-124

Commander Kelly with his crew at the Kennedy Space Center just before boarding Discovery on May 31, 2008 STS-124 Astrovan portrait.jpg
Commander Kelly with his crew at the Kennedy Space Center just before boarding Discovery on May 31, 2008

STS-124 Discovery was Kelly's first mission as commander. A month before 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. [22]

The mission was the second of three shuttle missions to carry components of Japan's Kibo laboratory to the ISS. Kibo is Japanese for "hope". The laboratory is Japan's primary contribution to the ISS. [23]

Just before 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." [24]

During the launch, Launch Pad 39A sustained substantial damage, more than had been seen on any previous launch. After 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). [25]

Kelly and his crew delivered the pressurized module for Kibo to the ISS. The module is the Kibo laboratory's largest component and the station's largest habitable module. [23] Discovery also delivered Kibo's Remote Manipulator System. [23] It also delivered a replacement part for the station's toilet. The ISS's toilet had been malfunctioning for a week, creating a potentially serious problem for the crew. [26] When Kelly first entered the station, he joked, "You looking for a plumber?" [26]

This mission was the first time a spouse of a member of Congress traveled to space. [27] Kelly traveled over 5.7 million miles, and orbited the Earth 218 times over 13 days and 18 hours. [10] As of 2009, Kelly had logged over 54 days in space overall. [10]

STS-134

Mission poster, based on a Star Trek promotional poster NASA STS-134 Official Mission Poster.jpg
Mission poster, based on a Star Trek promotional poster

STS-134 launched on May 16, 2011.

On April 29, 2011, the first launch attempt of STS-134 was scrubbed. Giffords traveled to Florida on her first trip since moving from Tucson to Houston in January after an attempted assassination. Her appearance at Kennedy Space Center gave the launch a high profile, "one of the most anticipated in years," according to The New York Times. President Barack Obama visited the Kennedy Space Center on April 29 on a trip with the original intention of watching the Endeavour launch. [29]

Kelly was the commander of the mission, which was Endeavour's last. [30] He and his crew delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the ISS. [31]

Most of the mission's delays were caused by external tank issues on STS-133 Discovery. [32] When Scott Kelly went to the ISS on October 7, 2010, STS-134 was scheduled to go to the station during his mission. The potential rendezvous in space of the Kelly brothers would have been a first meeting of blood relatives in space. [33] The delay of STS-134's launch ended that possibility.

After his wife's shooting, Kelly's status was unclear, but NASA announced on February 4, 2011, that he would remain commander of the mission. The remarkable progress his wife was making in her recovery helped Kelly decide to return to training. [34] Peggy Whitson, chief of the NASA Astronaut Office at the time, said, "we are confident in his ability to successfully lead this mission, and I know I speak for all of NASA in saying 'welcome back.'" [35]

Papal blessing

At 4 pm PDT on May 22, 2011, the European Space Agency and Italian Space Agency arranged for a call to Endeavour by Pope Benedict XVI. During his call—prompted by the discovery of a gash in the Shuttle's fuselage—Benedict extended his blessing to Giffords, who had undergone skull surgery earlier in the week. The event marked the first time a pope spoke to astronauts during a mission. [36] [37]

U2

On June 24, 2011, a recorded message by Kelly from the ISS wished his wife love using song lyrics from David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and introduced U2's song "Beautiful Day" on the first night of the Glastonbury festival in England. A similar message from Kelly aboard the ISS was played during U2's 360° Tour concert stop at various locations. It said: "I'm looking forward to coming home. Tell my wife I love her very much. She knows." [38]

Retirement

On June 21, 2011, Kelly announced that he would leave NASA's astronaut corps and the U.S. Navy effective October 1. He cited Giffords's needs during her recovery as a reason for his retirement. [2] He announced his retirement on his Facebook page, writing: "Words cannot convey my deep gratitude for the opportunities I have been given to serve our great nation. From the day I entered the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the summer of 1982 to the moment I landed the Space Shuttle Endeavour three weeks ago, it has been my privilege to advance the ideals that define the United States of America." [39]

Post-NASA career (2011–2016)

Author

In 2011, Kelly and Giffords coauthored Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience. The book provides biographical information on the couple and describes in detail the assassination attempt on Giffords and her initial recovery. Written in Kelly's voice, it includes a short note by Giffords at the end. [40]

Kelly's second book, Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story (2012), is a children's book illustrated by C. F. Payne. [41] It was a New York Times number one bestseller [42] and was followed the next year by a sequel, Mousetronaut Goes to Mars. [43]

In 2014, Giffords and Kelly coauthored Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence. [44]

In 2015, Kelly and Martha Freeman co-wrote Astrotwins: Project Blastoff, a fictional story about twins Scott and Mark who build a space capsule in their grandfather's backyard and try to send the first kid into orbit. Kelly dedicated this book to Scott Kelly. [45] The sequel, Astrotwins—Project Rescue, was published in 2016. [46]

Aerospace work

Kelly was a co-founder and strategic advisor of Tucson-based high-altitude balloon near-space exploration company World View Enterprises. [47] He served as Director of Flight Crew Operations beginning in 2013, and was involved in the development of the new craft, as well as its procedures and operations. [48] Chinese company Tencent invested millions into World View between 2013 and 2016. [49] Kelly left World View in 2019, before he started his Senate campaign; as of 2021 he held over $100,000 of World View stocks through a blind trust. [49]

On March 28, 2012, SpaceX announced that Kelly would be part of an independent safety advisory panel composed of leading human spaceflight safety experts. [50]

Speeches

From 2011 to 2016, Kelly delivered paid speeches in the U.S. and in China on behalf of Shaklee, a multi-level marketing distributor of nutritional supplements. [51] [52]

Separately, Kelly has also delivered paid speeches to bank Goldman Sachs, the Mortgage Bankers Association, and drug company AmerisourceBergen. [53]

Political activism

In January 2013, weeks after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Kelly and Giffords started a nonprofit political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS). The organization's mission is to promote solutions to gun violence with elected officials and the general public. The couple say it supports the Second Amendment while promoting responsible gun ownership and "keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people like criminals, terrorists, and the mentally ill". [54] The group claims that "current gun laws allow private sellers to sell guns without a background check, creating a loophole that provides criminals and the mentally ill easy access to guns". [54] On March 31, 2013, Kelly said, "any bill that does not include a universal background check is a mistake. It's the most common-sense thing we can do to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from having access to weapons." [55] In 2016, ARS merged with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence to become Giffords, [56] which besides background checks advocates for red flag laws. [57] [58] [59] [60]

U.S. Senate (2020–present)

Elections

2020 special

Kelly at the launch of his U.S. Senate campaign in downtown Phoenix in February 2019 Mark Kelly (40238402853).jpg
Kelly at the launch of his U.S. Senate campaign in downtown Phoenix in February 2019

On February 12, 2019, Kelly announced that he would run as a Democrat in the 2020 U.S. Senate special election in Arizona. [61] Kelly looked to unseat incumbent Republican Martha McSally, a fellow veteran who was appointed to the seat shortly after losing the 2018 election for the state's other seat in the Senate to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. The seat was vacated upon John McCain's death on August 25, 2018, and held by Governor Doug Ducey's appointee Jon Kyl until Kyl resigned on December 31, 2018. [61] Kelly declined to accept campaign contributions from corporate political action committees (PACs), but did accept thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from corporate executives and lobbyists. [62] [63]

The Associated Press called the race for Kelly on November 4, 2020. His election marks the first time since 1953 that Arizona has had two Democratic senators. [64] As the election was a special election, Kelly took office during the 116th Congress, shortly after Arizona certified its election results on November 30, unlike other senators and representatives elected in 2020, who took office at the opening of the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021. Kelly was sworn in at noon on December 2.

Kelly is the fourth retired astronaut to be elected to Congress, after John Glenn, Harrison Schmitt, and Jack Swigert. [65] [66] [b]

2022

Kelly won reelection in the November 2022 general election, defeating Republican challenger Blake Masters. [67]

Tenure

Kelly being sworn in as senator from Arizona by Vice President Mike Pence, with his wife, Gabby Giffords Swearing in of Mark Kelly.jpg
Kelly being sworn in as senator from Arizona by Vice President Mike Pence, with his wife, Gabby Giffords

On December 2, 2020, Kelly cast his first Senate vote, a "no" vote on the nomination of Kathryn C. Davis to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. [68] On December 9, Kelly voted "no" on a resolution blocking President Donald Trump from selling $23 billion in drones to the United Arab Emirates. Kelly split his vote by voting yes on another resolution blocking F-35 sales to the UAE. Both resolutions failed. [69]

In the wake of the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack, Kelly said that Vice President Mike Pence and Trump's cabinet "have the responsibility to discuss invoking the 25th amendment", Section 4 of which allows the vice president and cabinet to declare the president unable to serve and transfer presidential power to the vice president. Kelly voted to convict in Trump's second impeachment trial, along with 56 other senators. [70]

In January 2023, three bills regarding Indian tribes, introduced by Kelly and fellow Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, were signed into law by President Joe Biden. [71] One bill regarding the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act allocated more federal money and time to build water infrastructure for the White Mountain Apache Tribe. [71] A second bill, the Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act, permitted the Colorado River Indian Tribes (the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo) to begin leasing out parts of the Colorado River they were allocated, while a third bill, the Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act, allocated part of the Colorado River to the Hualapai tribe, so that water infrastructure can deliver water to the tribe. [71]

During the 117th Congress, Kelly co-sponsored several legislative bills that were supported by both parties and became law; these bills included those on the topics of mandating de-escalation training for law enforcement, updating ocean shipping governance, combating human trafficking, and reimbursing people suffering from radiation from atomic weapon tests; during the 118th Congress, Kelly co-sponsored the bipartisan END FENTANYL Act, passed in 2023. The law requires United States Customs and Border Protection to refresh its interdiction procedures at least every three years to mitigate advances in narcotics and human trafficking across the U.S. southern border. [72]

Committee assignments

Political positions

Kelly with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Chuck Schumer on October 15, 2023 United States Congressional Delegation visit to Israel on October 15, 2023 - 24.jpg
Kelly with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Chuck Schumer on October 15, 2023

Kelly ran as a moderate in 2020 and voiced support for bipartisanship. [85] [86] [87] Since joining the Senate, he supported abolishing the filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation [88] and a federal minimum wage increase to $15 per hour. He has criticized Joe Biden's approach to border security. [89] [90] As of October 2022, Kelly has voted in line with Biden's stated position 94.5% of the time. [91]

Abortion

As a candidate in 2020, Kelly said he was "pro-choice" and was endorsed by Planned Parenthood. [92] He supports codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law. [93] He has said that late-stage abortions should be legally protected. [94]

Climate and environment

Kelly has voiced support for climate action, but said he "does not favor" the Green New Deal. [95] The League of Conservation Voters gave him a 97% score in 2021. [96] In a 2021 Greenpeace exposé, [97] Kelly was one of 11 U.S. senators ExxonMobil Senior Director for Federal Relations Keith McCoy called "crucial" to the company. [98] Kelly has received funding from ExxonMobil lobbyists. [99] In 2022, he advocated for an expansion of oil drilling in the wake of rising gas prices. [100] [101]

Guns

Kelly became an outspoken advocate for gun control after the attempted assassination of his wife, former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, at the 2011 Tucson shooting. [102]

Kelly voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas. [103] [104]

Health care

Kelly supports building on the Affordable Care Act to include a public health insurance option. [102] [105] He opposes Medicare for All. [106]

Immigration

Kelly has expressed support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, saying, "Dreamers are as American as anyone." [107] [92] In July 2024, he blamed Donald Trump for sinking a bipartisan border bill. [108]

Donald Trump

In February 2021, Kelly voted to convict Trump for incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment trial, [70] and has been outspoken in his disdain for him. [109]

Personal life

Kelly married Amelia Victoria Babis on January 7, 1989. They divorced in 2004. They have two daughters, Claudia and Claire Kelly. [110]

Kelly and his wife, Gabby Giffords, in 2016 Mark Kelly and Gabrielle Giffords by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Kelly and his wife, Gabby Giffords, in 2016

Kelly married U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords of Tucson 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." [19] 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. [111]

At the time of their marriage, Kelly lived in Houston, Texas, [112] and said that the longest stretch of time the two had spent together was a couple of weeks. He said that they did not plan to always live that way, but that it was what they were used to. He added, "It teaches you not to sweat the small stuff." [19]

Kelly appeared on an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy! in 2015. [113]

Shooting in Tucson

Giffords was shot in an assassination attempt on January 8, 2011, [114] which killed six people and brought national attention to Kelly. [115] [116] On February 4, Kelly described the previous month as the hardest time of his life [117] and expressed his gratitude for the enormous outpouring of support, good wishes and prayers for his wife. He said that he believed people's prayers for her helped. [118]

One of Giffords's aides informed Kelly of the shooting almost immediately after it happened. He flew from Houston to Tucson with members of his family. 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." [119]

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 one in Houston. On January 21, Giffords was transferred to the Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center, [120] where she spent five days before moving to TIRR Memorial Hermann, where she continued her recovery and rehabilitation. [121]

Giffords and Kelly had spoken dozens of times about how risky her job was. She was afraid that someone with a gun would come up to her at a public event. 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." [119]

Aftermath

Kelly and homeland security secretary and former Arizona governor Janet Napolitano at the Tucson memorial service Kelly Napolitano Tucson Memorial 2011.jpg
Kelly and homeland security secretary and former Arizona governor Janet Napolitano at the Tucson memorial service

A memorial service for those killed in the assassination attempt was held on January 12, 2011, at the University of Arizona. President Obama flew to Tucson to speak at the memorial. Kelly sat between First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona. At the end of the service, Obama consoled and embraced him, after which Kelly returned to the hospital to be with his wife. [122]

Kelly spoke on February 3, 2011, at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. His remarks closed the event, where Obama also spoke. Kelly said the attack on his wife brought him closer to God and gave him a newfound awareness regarding prayer. He said that before the attack, "I thought the world just spins and the clock just ticks and things happen for no particular reason", but that, in Tucson, as he found himself wandering in makeshift memorials and shrines filled with Bibles and angels, "You pray where you are. You pray when God is there in your heart." [123] Kelly offered the final prayer of the morning, lightly adapted by Rabbi Stephanie Aaron from a traditional bedtime prayer. Rabbi Aaron, who married Kelly and Giffords, had 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. [123]

In 2011, Kelly said he believed there was a chance to change a political environment he believed was too vitriolic. He hoped that the tragedy would be an opportunity to improve the tone of the national dialogue and cool down the rhetoric. [119] In response to a question on February 4, 2011, 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." [118]

Electoral history

YearOfficePartyPrimaryGeneralResult Swing
Total %P.Total %±%P.
2020 U.S. Senator Democratic 665,62099.93%1st1,716,46751.16%+10.41%1stWonGain
2022 Democratic 589,400100.0%1st1,322,02751.39%+0.22%1stWonHold

Awards and decorations

Kelly's awards and decorations include: [124] [125] [126]

En-NavAstro.jpg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg
1 golden star.svg
Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg
Valor device.svg
1 golden star.svg
1 golden star.svg
1 golden star.svg
Air Medal ribbon.svg
Valor device.svg
1 golden star.svg
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal ribbon.svg
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement ribbon.svg
1 golden star.svg
Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg
USA - NASA Excep Rib.png
1 golden star.svg
1 golden star.svg
1 golden star.svg
SpaceFltRib.svg
Navy Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Southwest Asia Service ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg
Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.svg Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) ribbon.svg Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg
Naval Pilot Astronaut Badge
Defense Superior Service Medal
One oak leaf cluster 		Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross
One award star		 Air Medal
Valor device and three service stars
Navy Commendation Medal
Valor device and one service star 		Navy Achievement Medal Navy Unit Commendation
One service star 		NASA Exceptional Service Medal
NASA Space Flight Medal
Three service stars		 Navy Expeditionary Medal National Defense Service Medal
One service star		 Southwest Asia Service Medal
One service star
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
One service star		 Overseas Service Ribbon Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

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Daniel Christopher Burbank is a retired American astronaut and a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions. Burbank, a Captain in the United States Coast Guard, is the second Coast Guard astronaut after Bruce Melnick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Kelly (astronaut)</span> American engineer and astronaut (born 1964)

Scott Joseph Kelly is an American engineer, retired astronaut, and naval aviator. A veteran of four space flights, Kelly commanded the International Space Station (ISS) on Expeditions 26, 45, and 46.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soichi Noguchi</span> Japanese astronaut and engineer (born 1965)

Soichi Noguchi is a Japanese aeronautical engineer and former JAXA astronaut. His first spaceflight was as a mission specialist aboard STS-114 on 26 July 2005 for NASA's first "return to flight" Space Shuttle mission after the Columbia disaster. He was also in space as part of the Soyuz TMA-17 crew and Expedition 22 to the International Space Station (ISS), returning to Earth on 2 June 2010. He is the sixth Japanese astronaut to fly in space, the fifth to fly on the Space Shuttle, and the first to fly on Crew Dragon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-118</span> 2007 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-118 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by the orbiter Endeavour. STS-118 lifted off on August 8, 2007, from launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida and landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC on August 21, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Kopra</span> American astronaut

Timothy Lennart "Tim" Kopra is an American engineer, a Colonel in the United States Army, and a retired NASA astronaut. He served aboard the International Space Station as a flight engineer for Expedition 20, returning to Earth aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-128 mission on September 11, 2009. He returned to the ISS for the second time in December 2015, as part of Expedition 46 and as the commander of 47.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-123</span> 2008 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-123 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) which was flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour. STS-123 was the 1J/A ISS assembly mission. The original launch target date was February 14, 2008, but after the delay of STS-122, the shuttle was launched on March 11, 2008. It was the twenty-fifth shuttle mission to visit the ISS, and delivered the first module of the Japanese laboratory, Japanese Experiment Module (Kibō), and the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, (SPDM) Dextre robotics system to the station. The mission duration was 15 days and 18 hours, and it was the first mission to fully utilize the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS), allowing space station power to augment the shuttle power systems. The mission set a record for a shuttle's longest stay at the ISS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-124</span> 2008 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

STS-124 was the 35th mission of Space Shuttle Discovery. She went to the International Space Station on this mission. Discovery launched on May 31, 2008, at 17:02 EDT, moved from an earlier scheduled launch date of May 25, 2008, and landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, at 11:15 EDT on June 14, 2008. Its objective was to deliver the largest module of the space station – Kibō, the Japanese Experiment Module pressurized section. The mission is also referred to as ISS-1J by the ISS program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Stott</span> American engineer and former astronaut (born 1962)

Nicole Marie Passonno Stott is an American engineer and a retired NASA astronaut. She served as a flight engineer on ISS Expedition 20 and Expedition 21 and was a mission specialist on STS-128 and STS-133. After 27 years of working at NASA, the space agency announced her retirement effective June 1, 2015. She is married to Christopher Stott, a Manx-born American space entrepreneur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Cassidy</span> Retired NASA astronaut (born 1970)

Christopher John "Chris" Cassidy is a retired NASA astronaut and United States Navy SEAL. Chris Cassidy achieved the rank of captain in the U.S. Navy. His first spaceflight was on a Space Shuttle mission in 2009. He was the Chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA from July 2015 until June 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Astronaut Group 13</span>

NASA Astronaut Group 13 was a group of 23 astronauts announced by NASA on 17 January 1990. The group name came from its selection of a black cat as a mascot, to play against the traditional unlucky connotations of the number 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STS-134</span> 2011 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS and final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour

STS-134 was the penultimate mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the 25th and last spaceflight of Space ShuttleEndeavour. This flight delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station. Mark Kelly served as the mission commander. STS-134 was expected to be the final Space Shuttle mission if STS-135 did not receive funding from Congress. However, in February 2011, NASA stated that STS-135 would fly "regardless" of the funding situation. STS-135, flown by Atlantis, took advantage of the processing for STS-335, the Launch on Need mission that would have been necessary if the STS-134 crew became stranded in orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Astronaut Group 16</span> 1996 human spaceflight selection of 44 candidates; "The Sardines"

NASA Astronaut Group 16 was a group of 44 astronauts announced by NASA on May 1, 1996. The class was nicknamed "The Sardines" for being such a large class, humorously implying that their training sessions would be as tightly packed as sardines in a can. These 44 candidates compose the largest astronaut class to date. NASA selected so many candidates in preparation for the anticipated need for ISS crew members, along with regular shuttle needs. Nine of the 44 astronauts selected were from other countries including 5 from Europe and 2 from Canada and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Astronaut Group 17</span> 1998 group of 32 astronaut candidates

NASA Astronaut Group 17, were chosen by NASA in 1998 and announced on June 4 of that year. The group of 32 candidates included eight pilots, 17 mission specialists, and seven international mission specialists who became NASA astronauts. They began training in August 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expedition 28</span> Long-duration mission to the International Space Station

Expedition 28 was the 28th long-duration expedition to the International Space Station, and began on 23 May 2011 with the departure of the members of Expedition 27. The first three members of Expedition 28 arrived on the ISS aboard the Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft on 4 April 2011, and were joined on 9 June 2011 by the three other crew members, who arrived aboard Soyuz TMA-02M. The expedition saw a number of significant events, including the final Space Shuttle mission, STS-135, which took place in July 2011. Expedition 28 was superseded by Expedition 29 on 16 September 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Astronaut Group 12</span> Group of astronauts selected in 1987

NASA Astronaut Group 12 was a group of 15 astronauts announced by NASA on June 5, 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Astronaut Group 10</span>

NASA Astronaut Group 10 was a group of 17 astronauts that were announced on May 23, 1984 and consisted of seven pilots and ten mission specialists. Although selected in 1984, no member of the group would fly until 1988 due to the Challenger disaster and the resulting grounding of the Space Shuttle fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Astronaut Group 11</span>

NASA Astronaut Group 11 was a group of 13 NASA astronauts announced on 4 June 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Shuttle retirement</span> End of NASA Space Shuttle program in 2011

The retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle fleet took place from March to July 2011. Discovery was the first of the three active Space Shuttles to be retired, completing its final mission on March 9, 2011; Endeavour did so on June 1. The final shuttle mission was completed with the landing of Atlantis on July 21, 2011, closing the 30-year Space Shuttle program.

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  120. ↑ Stanglin, Douglas (January 21, 2011). "Giffords arrives in Houston to begin rehab". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 24, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  121. ↑ "U.S. Rep. Giffords moved to TIRR Memorial Hermann". Associated Press. January 26, 2011. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  122. ↑ Cooper, Helene (January 12, 2011). "Obama Calls for a New Era of Civility in U.S. Politics". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  123. 1 2 Grossman, Cathy Lynn (February 4, 2011). "Mark Kelly finds God, angels after Tucson tragedy". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 7, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  124. ↑ Kelly, Mark (July 2011). "Biographical Data" (PDF). NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  125. ↑ "Mark E. Kelly '86". www.usmmaalumni.com. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  126. ↑ May 2008, NASA Archives 15 (May 15, 2008). "Astronaut Biography: Mark E. Kelly". Space.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Notes

  1. ↑ After the 2018 death of Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, McCain's term was completed by Republicans Jon Kyl and Martha McSally.
  2. ↑ Swigert was elected to Congress, but never served, dying a week before he would have taken office.

Further reading

Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Arizona
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as United States Senator from Arizona}
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