Mark Edward Kelly is the son of retired police officers Richard and Patricia Kelly. He was born on February 21, 1964, in Orange, New Jersey, and raised in West Orange, New Jersey. Kelly is married to U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. He has an identical twin brother, Scott J. Kelly, who is also an astronaut and served as commander of International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 26.
Kelly graduated from Mountain High School in 1982 and received a B.S. degree in marine engineering and nautical science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, graduating with highest honors in 1986. He then received an M.S. degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1994.
Kelly is a decorated astronaut and naval aviator. He has received numerous awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and NASA Exceptional Service Medal.
Kelly has extensive experience in the U.S. Navy, serving as a naval aviator and test pilot. He has logged over 5,000 hours in more than 50 different aircraft and has over 375 carrier landings. He is currently on active duty and holds the rank of Captain in the U.S. Navy.
Kelly's first trip into space was as pilot of STS-108, which launched on December 5, 2001. The mission delivered over three tons of equipment, supplies, and a fresh crew to the ISS. Kelly and Mission Specialist Linda Godwin used the shuttle's robotic arm to lift the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module from the shuttle payload bay and attach it to a berth on the station's Unity node. The mission lasted 12 days, during which Kelly traveled over 4.8 million miles and orbited the earth 186 times.
