Sat, Jan 15, 2011
Primary Mission Commander Mark Kelly Tending To His Wife,
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
NASA announced Thursday that astronaut Rick Sturckow will serve
as a backup commander for the STS-134 space shuttle mission to
facilitate continued training for the crew and support teams during
STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly's absence. Kelly's wife, Congresswoman
Gabrielle Giffords, was critically wounded in a shooting on Jan. 8
in Tucson, AZ.
Mark Kelly NASA Image
Kelly remains commander of the mission, which is targeted for
launch on April 19 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"I recommended to my management that we take steps now to
prepare to complete the mission in my absence, if necessary," Kelly
said. "I am very hopeful that I will be in a position to rejoin my
STS-134 crew members to finish our training."
Rick Sturckow NASA Image
"Mark is still the commander of STS-134," said Peggy Whitson,
chief of the Astronaut Office. "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. Designating a backup allows the crew
and support team to continue training, and enables Mark to focus on
his wife's care."
Sturckow will begin training next week at NASA's Johnson Space
Center in Houston with the rest of the STS-134 crew, which includes
Pilot Greg H. Johnson, Michael Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Andrew
Feustel and Greg Chamitoff. The 14-day mission to the International
Space Station will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and
spare parts that include two S-band communications antennas, a
high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robot
and micrometeoroid debris shields.
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