Friday, February 04, 2011

Kelly will command final shuttle flight

Mark Kelly, husband of wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, will fly the space shuttle Endeavour's final mission in April, according to a source familiar with the decision.

Kelly and NASA are expected to make an announcement at a press conference Friday.

Giffords was the target of a failed assassination attempt last month in Tucson, Ariz., in which she was shot in the head and six other people were killed six. She was moved last week from Arizona to a rehabilitation clinic in Houston, where Kelly lives.

The severe injuries Giffords sustained in the Tucson shootings had left in doubt whether Kelly would be able to command the space shuttle, but the source made clear all systems are go for him to lead the mission, scheduled to lift off on April 19.

The flight is Kelly's fourth. His twin brother, Scott, is also an astronaut and is currently commanding the six-person team orbiting Earth in the International Space Station.

© 2011 Capitol News

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