CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The six experienced astronauts making space shuttle Endeavour's final voyage are as tight as brothers after nearly two years together as a crew and the tragic shooting of the commander's congresswoman wife.
No crew in NASA history has had to endure such a horrific — and public — event.
Each man says the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords — wife of commander Mark Kelly — has brought them closer as a crew.
A brief look at each spaceman:
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Navy Capt. Mark Kelly is quite possibly the best known commander in shuttle history.
He's married to Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was wounded in January at a political event in Tucson. She made it to the launch, as well as the first attempt more than two weeks ago.
Kelly is also one-half of the world's only pair of space siblings; identical twin Scott is also an astronaut. He, too, was on hand for the liftoff. The brothers never miss each other's launch.
Kelly took a monthlong leave from training to be at his wife's hospital bedside. He returned to work in February, saying she'd want him to do the mission — his fourth. He insisted he could focus on the flight to the International Space Station; NASA says he has.
Kelly, 47, grew up in West Orange, N.J., fascinated by the Apollo moon missions. It wasn't until he was in the Navy, flying off aircraft carriers and serving as a test pilot, that he decided to apply to the astronaut corps. He was accepted in 1996 with his brother.
He's flown twice as a shuttle pilot and once before as a skipper, experience that enabled him to take time off during training to tend to Giffords. He is in charge of the delivery of a $2 billion magnetic device that will seek out antimatter and dark energy.
No crew in NASA history has had to endure such a horrific — and public — event.
Each man says the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords — wife of commander Mark Kelly — has brought them closer as a crew.
A brief look at each spaceman:
___
Navy Capt. Mark Kelly is quite possibly the best known commander in shuttle history.
He's married to Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was wounded in January at a political event in Tucson. She made it to the launch, as well as the first attempt more than two weeks ago.
Kelly is also one-half of the world's only pair of space siblings; identical twin Scott is also an astronaut. He, too, was on hand for the liftoff. The brothers never miss each other's launch.
Kelly took a monthlong leave from training to be at his wife's hospital bedside. He returned to work in February, saying she'd want him to do the mission — his fourth. He insisted he could focus on the flight to the International Space Station; NASA says he has.
Kelly, 47, grew up in West Orange, N.J., fascinated by the Apollo moon missions. It wasn't until he was in the Navy, flying off aircraft carriers and serving as a test pilot, that he decided to apply to the astronaut corps. He was accepted in 1996 with his brother.
He's flown twice as a shuttle pilot and once before as a skipper, experience that enabled him to take time off during training to tend to Giffords. He is in charge of the delivery of a $2 billion magnetic device that will seek out antimatter and dark energy.
