Giffords's Husband Will Lead April Shuttle Flight

Mark Kelly to fly Endeavour's final mission
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 4, 2011 6:05 AM CST
Giffords's Husband Will Lead April Shuttle Flight
In this undated file photo provided by the office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords, left, is shown with her husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly.   (AP Photo/Office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, File)

Gabrielle Giffords’s husband has decided to lead the space shuttle Endeavour’s last mission, set to lift off April 19 for two weeks, NASA announced today. His wife’s condition had prompted doubts over whether Mark Kelly would undertake the flight, his fourth; she's currently in a rehab clinic in Houston, where Kelly lives. "I am looking forward to rejoining my STS-134 crew members and finishing our training for the mission," he said in a statement. "We have been preparing for more than 18 months."

Politico had earlier reported Kelly's decision, based on information from a source. The Washington Post notes that Kelly will make the official announcement at a 3pm news conference outside Houston at the Johnson Space Center.
(More Gabrielle Giffords stories.)

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