Image above: Kelly walks near the flight line of T-38s at Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center. Credit: NASA

STS-121 Pilot Mark Kelly
From the Seas to the Skies

Mark Kelly became interested in the space program as a child, when he watched the first Apollo missions to the moon.

Kelly was watching footage of astronaut Alan Shepard landing on an aircraft carrier when he first began to realize how his dreams could become a reality.

"I remember thinking, 'Well, that looks like a great combination. You go fly airplanes in the Navy off a ship first, and then later you become an astronaut,'" he said.
"I never thought it would really happen, but that was my goal."

Now he's set to pilot Discovery into space on the next shuttle mission, STS-121.

The six American crew members of STS-121 meet with the media at 9:30 a.m. EST, Friday, Feb. 17 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Latest news stories..

• Get our news headlines for your website • Submit your news story