President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama lead a Jan. 12 tribute to the victims and families of the Tucson shootings. NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, right, husband of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, is among those gathered. Photo Credit/White House
NASA on Thursday appointed a backup to Endeavour Commander Mark Kelly, whose Congresswoman wife, Gabrielle Giffords, was among those critically wounded during a shooting spree last weekend at a Tucson, Ariz. political rally.
However, Kelly hopes to lead the 14-day mission, the last scheduled NASA shuttle flight. The launch date for Endeavour’s flight was also shifted Thursday from April 1 to April 19.
“I am very hopeful that I will be in a position to rejoin my STS 134 crew members to finish our training,” said Kelly in a statement. “I recommended to my management that we take steps now to prepare to complete the mission in my absence, if necessary.”
Kelly traveled from Houston to be as his wife’s side at the University Medical Center in Tucson shortly after the shooting.
Backup Endeavour commander Rick Sturckow. Photo Credit/NASA photo
The backup commander is Frederick “Rick” Sturckow, a four-time shuttle veteran and NASA’s Deputy Chief Astronaut. Sturckow, who led shuttle assembly missions in 2009 and 2007, will begin to train with Endeavour pilot Greg Johnson, Mike Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Drew Feustel and Roberto Vittori next week.
Authorities say that Giffords was the primary target of the shooting spree involving a single gunman that left 19 dead and injured. Doctors say Giffords, who was shot in the head, is expected to survive . The Arizona lawmaker has begun to respond to Kelly and her medical team, but faces a lengthy rehabilitation.
“Mark is still the commander of STS 134,” said NASA Chief Astronaut Peggy Whitson. “He is facing many uncertainties now as he supports Gabrielle, and our goal is to allow him to keep his undistracted attention on his family while allowing preparations for the mission to progress.”
Endeavour’s crew will equip the station with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a $2 billion external astronomical observatory for studies of cosmic rays and dark matter.
Also on Thursday, NASA affirmed Feb. 24 as the launch date for shuttle Discovery.
Discovery’s fleeting leading 39th and final flight has been on hold since a Nov. 5 launch scrub.
In the aftermath, technicians found small cracks on five long support beams in the mid region of Discovery’s 154 foot long external fuel tank.
The cracks have been repaired, and technicians are modifying the remaining 108 stringers with a “radius block” that is designed to prevent further cracking.
During an 11-day mission, Discovery’s six astronauts will equip the station with an equipment storage module and attach an external platform for spare parts.
