Astronaut Biography: Mark E. Kelly

NAME: Mark Kelly
Commander, USN
NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA: Born February 21, 1964 in Orange, New Jersey, but considers West Orange, New Jersey, to be his hometown. Married to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Tucson, Arizona. He enjoys cycling, weight-lifting and golf. His parents, Richard and Patricia Kelly, reside in Flagler Beach, Florida. Mark has two children.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Mountain High School, West Orange, New Jersey, in 1982; received bachelor of science degrees in marine engineering and marine transportation (with highest honors) from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1986, and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1994.

ORGANIZATIONS: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Association, Fellow of the National Committee on U.S. China Relations.

AWARDS: Awarded Defense Superior Service Medal (2 awards), four Air Medals (2 individual/2 strike flight) with Combat "V," 2 Navy Commendation Medals (one with combat "V"), Navy Commendation Medal with "V," Navy Achievement Medal, two Southwest Asia Service Medals, Navy Expeditionary Medal, two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, Overseas Service Ribbon, and various other unit awards.

EXPERIENCE: Kelly received his commission from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in June 1986, and was designated a Naval Aviator in December 1987. While assigned to Attack Squadron 115 in Atsugi, Japan he made two deployments to the Persian Gulf aboard the USS Midway flying the A-6E Intruder All-Weather Attack Aircraft. During his second deployment he flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. He completed 15 months of graduate work in Monterey, California, before attending the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in June 1993.

After graduating in June 1994, he worked as a project test pilot at the Carrier Suitability Department of the Strike Aircraft Test Squadron, Patuxent River, Maryland, flying the A-6E, EA-6B and F-18 aircraft. Kelly was an instructor pilot at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School when selected for the astronaut program.

He has logged over 4,500 flight hours in more than 50 different aircraft and has over 375 carrier landings.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in April 1996, Kelly reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. Twice flown, he served as pilot on STS-108 in 2001 and STS-121 in 2006, and has logged almost 25 days in space. In 2006 he received his first U.S. Patent for an advanced oxygen mask for combat aircraft. He is assigned to command the crew of STS-124. The STS-124 mission to the International Space Station will be the second of three flights that will launch components to complete the Japanese "Kibo" laboratory. Launch is targeted for May 2008.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-108 Endeavour (December 5-17, 2001), was the 12th shuttle flight to visit the International Space Station. Endeavour?s crew delivered the Expedition-4 crew and returned the Expedition-3 crew, unloaded over 3 tons of equipment and supplies from the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, and performed one space walk to wrap thermal blankets around ISS Solar Array Gimbals. STS-108 traveled 4.8 million miles orbiting the earth 185 times in 283 hours and 36 minutes.

STS -121 (July 4-17, 2006), was a return-to-flight test mission and assembly flight to the International Space Station. During the 13-day flight the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery tested new equipment and procedures that increase the safety of space shuttles, repaired a rail car on the International Space Station and produced never-before-seen, high-resolution images of the Shuttle during and after its July 4th launch. The crew also performed maintenance on the space station and delivered and transferred more than 28,000 pounds of supplies and equipment, and a new Expedition 13 crew member to the station. The mission was accomplished in 306 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds.

• Complete Space Shuttle Mission Coverage
• All About the International Space Station
• All About Astronauts