February 7, 2011 — “I’ll be back.”
While Arnold Schwarzenegger may have made that line famous in “The Terminator,” NASA astronaut Mark Kelly is bringing new meaning to it as he resumes training today as commander of the STS-134 mission to the International Space Station.
With the exception of some proficiency training, Kelly has been on personal leave since January 8 to care for his wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head during a constituent meeting in Tucson, Arizona. She is now in a Houston rehab center.
"Her days are filled, from the time she gets up at 8 o'clock until after 6 p.m. with six hours of speech, occupational and physical therapy, so she's got very busy days, and meals in between,” Kelly said during a Friday press conference. “And I started to think about STS-134, about the mission, my crew, the fact that I've been training for it for a year and a half. And considering a bunch of other factors, including how ... what Gabrielle would want me to do, and what her parents and her family and my family would like. I ultimately made the decision that I would like to return and command STS-134. I appreciate the confidence that my NASA management has in me and the rest of my space shuttle crew.”
Kelly told CNN that he expects Giffords will be able to witness Endeavour’s launch.
"We are glad to have Mark back," said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center. "He is a veteran shuttle commander and knows well the demands of the job. We are confident in his ability to successfully lead this mission…”
Space.com reported that Kelly trained with the crew last week on a trial basis, to prove to himself and NASA that he would be able to focus on his work during the mission. Kelly and his five crewmates are slated to launch aboard Endeavour April 19 on a two-week mission to the International Space Station, delivering new supplies and a $1.5 billion astrophysics experiment called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, which is aimed at detecting signs of antimatter and other exotic particles that could reveal clues about the nature of the universe.
Endeavour's STS-134 mission is one of NASA's three final space shuttle flights. Before Endeavour flies, NASA plans to launch the shuttle Discovery to deliver a humanoid robot and a spare room to serve as a storage closet. Discovery is slated to launch on February 24.
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NASA astronaut Mark Kelly and Congressman Gabrielle Giffords were married in 2007. 
STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly talked Friday about his decision to return to command the mission after his wife was shot in the head. Photo credit: NASA
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