Astronaut Mark Kelly made the decision to rejoin the crew of STS-134 as its commander after he was convinced that his wife, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was improving consistently after being critically wounded in a Tucson, Ariz. shooting, the astronaut said Friday.
“Things fell into place and she improved very fast, so the decision became easier over time,” Kelly said. “I know my wife very well and I know what she would want, so that makes the decision easier.”
Kelly had been on personal leave since the Jan. 8 shooting to care for his wife. Before announcing the decision, Kelly returned to training for a week, including taking a check-out flight in a T-38 jet trainer and running through an ascent/entry simulation.
Astronauts Brent Jett and Peggy Whitson, who as director of Flight Crew Operations and chief astronaut, respectively, are in charge of flight assignments, said they are certain Kelly is ready to handle the training and the spaceflight. Endeavour is targeted for launch April 19 on a mission to the International Space Station.
“I’m very glad to have Mark back as commander of STS-134,” Jett said.