Mark Kelly Mark Edward Kelly ( born February 21 , 1964 ) is a retired American astronaut and U . S . Navy Captain . He is the husband of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords , an author , and an advocate of gun control . A naval aviator , Kelly flew combat missions during the Gulf War . He was selected to become a NASA Space Shuttle pilot in 1996 and flew his first mission in 2001 as pilot of STS - 108 . He piloted STS - 121 in 2006 and commanded STS - 124 in 2008 and STS - 134 in 2011 . STS - 134 was his final mission and the final mission of Space Shuttle " Endeavour " . His wife was the target of an attempted assassination in Tucson , Arizona , on January 8 , 2011 . After the shooting , in which six people were killed , both Kelly and Giffords were thrust into the media spotlight . His wife ' s shooting led to a broad national conversation ranging from the duties of a husband to what is acceptable civil discourse . The couple wrote a book about their lives and their experiences , discussing the shooting and Giffords ' s initial recovery . Kelly ' s identical twin brother , Scott Kelly , is also an astronaut and served as commander of International Space Station ( ISS ) Expedition 26 . The Kelly brothers are the only twins and only siblings to have both traveled in space . Early life and education . Mark Edward Kelly is the son of Richard and Patricia Kelly , two retired police officers . 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 . Naval career . 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 ) in Atsugi , Japan , and made two deployments to the Persian Gulf on the aircraft carrier , 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 . He is the recipient of the following awards : two Defense Superior Service Medal s ; four Air Medal s ( two individual / two strike flight ) with Combat " V " ; one Legion of Merit ; one Distinguished Flying Cross ; two Navy Commendation Medal s , one with combat " V " ) ; one Navy Achievement Medal ; two Southwest Asia Service Medal s ; one Navy Expeditionary Medal ; two Sea Service Deployment Ribbon s ; and an Overseas Service Ribbon . On June 21 , 2011 , Kelly announced his retirement from the U . S . Navy and NASA , effective October 1 , 2011 . His retirement was announced on his Facebook page , where he wrote , " 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 . " NASA career . Mark Kelly and his brother Scott were both selected to be Shuttle pilots by NASA in 1996 . They joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in August of that year . Mark Kelly has logged over 38 days in space . During his 2006 flight on Space Shuttle " Discovery " , the second mission after the loss of Space Shuttle " Columbia " , Kelly discussed the risks of flying the Space Shuttle : Spaceflight experience . STS - 108 . 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 . STS - 108 " Endeavour " visited the ISS , delivering over three tons of equipment , supplies , and a fresh crew to the orbiting outpost . 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 . 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 . Kelly traveled over 4 . 8 million miles and orbited the earth 186 times over 11 days and 19 + hours . STS - 121 . 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 . 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 . 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 . Gabrielle Giffords , Kelly ' s girlfriend at the time , picked one of the wake - up songs for the mission : " Beautiful Day " by U2 . Kelly traveled over 5 . 28 million miles and orbited the Earth 202 times over 12 days and 18 + hours . STS - 124 . 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 : 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 . 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 . " 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 ) . 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 . Discovery also delivered Kibo ' s Remote Manipulator System . 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 . When Kelly first entered the station , he joked , " You looking for a plumber ? " , referring to the broken toilet . This mission marked the first time a spouse of a member of the U . S . Congress traveled to space . Kelly traveled over 5 . 7 million miles , and orbited the earth 218 times over 13 days and 18 hours . STS - 134 . STS - 134 launched on May 16 , 2011 . On April 29 , 2011 , the first launch attempt of STS - 134 was scrubbed . Kelly ' s wife , Gabrielle Giffords , traveled to Florida on her first trip since moving from Tucson to Houston in January after an attempted assassination . Giffords ' 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 Obama visited the Kennedy Space Center on April 29 on a trip with the original intention of watching the " Endeavour " launch . Kelly was the commander of the mission which was Space Shuttle " Endeavour ' s " last . He and his crew delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer ( AMS ) to the ISS . Most of the mission ' s delays were caused by external tank issues on STS - 133 " Discovery " . When Mark ' s twin brother 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 . 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 , 2011 , 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 . 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 . ' " Papal blessing . At 4 p . m . PDT on May 22 , 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 — the Pope extended his blessing to Kelly ' s wife , Gabrielle Giffords , who had undergone skull surgery earlier in the week . The event marked the first time a Pope spoke to astronauts during the course of a mission . U2 . On June 24 , 2011 , a prerecorded 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 . He says : " I ' m looking forward to coming home . Tell my wife I love her very much , she knows . " Retirement from NASA . On June 21 , 2011 , Kelly announced that he would be leaving NASA ' s astronaut corps and the U . S . Navy effective October 1 . He cited the needs of his wife during her recovery as a reason for his retirement . Author . In 2011 he coauthored " Gabby : A Story of Courage , Love and Resilience , " with his wife . The book provides biographical information on the couple and describes in detail the assassination attempt on Gabby and her initial recovery . Written in Kelly ' s voice , it includes a short note by Giffords at the end . Kelly ' s second book , " Mousetronaut " , is a children ' s book that was released in 2012 . It was a New York Times number one bestseller . Personal life . Kelly married Amelia Victoria Babis January 7 , 1989 . They have two daughters , Claudia and Claire , now teenagers . He was divorced from Babis on October 7 , 2004 . 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 . " 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 . At the time , he lived in Houston . 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 . " Shooting in Tucson . Kelly ' s wife , Representative Gabrielle Giffords , was shot in an assassination attempt on January 8 , 2011 , putting Kelly in the national spotlight . On February 4 , Kelly described the previous month as the hardest time of his life 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 . Kelly received word that his wife had been shot from an aide of the Congresswoman almost immediately after the shooting . He flew from Houston to Tucson with members of his family . While on 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 . " 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 where she spent five days prior to moving to TIRR Memorial Hermann , where she continued her recovery and rehabilitation . 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 . " Aftermath . 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 . 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 . " 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 : 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 . 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 . " On March 28 , 2012 SpaceX announced that Mark Kelly would be part of an independent safety advisory panel composed of leading human spaceflight safety experts . Advocate for gun control . In January 2013 , Kelly and Giffords started a political action committee called Americans for Responsible Solutions . The mission of the organization is to promote solutions with elected officials and the general public . The couple 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 . ” Current gun laws allow for private sellers to legally sell guns without a background check , creating a loophole that provides criminals and the mentally ill easy access to guns . Kelly said on Fox News on March 31 , 2013 that “ 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 . " Other proposals from Kelly and Giffords include limiting the sale of high capacity magazines , limiting the sale of assault weapons , and stopping gun trafficking . Mark Kelly was denied the sale of an AR - 15 rifle . The shop owner denied Mr . Kelly the purchase stating his disagreement with Mr . Kelly ' s previous statements on gun laws and the call to ban the same weapon Kelly had tried to purchase . In April 2013 , Kelly was photographed at his mother - in - law ' s house in Arizona , with Giffords watching and cheering him on while he used a Glock 9 millimeter for target practice . This is the same gun that was used to shoot Giffords .