Career Timeline of Mark Kelly: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Mark Kelly, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Mark Kelly is an American politician and retired astronaut currently serving as a U.S. Senator for Arizona since 2020. As a member of the Democratic Party, he represents Arizona in the Senate. Prior to his political career, Kelly was a naval officer and a NASA astronaut, having flown four space missions.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

December 1987: Became a Naval Aviator

In December 1987, Mark Kelly became a naval aviator and received initial training on the A-6E Intruder attack aircraft.

1994: Attended U.S. Naval Test Pilot School

From 1993 to 1994, Mark Kelly attended U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. He received a MSc in aeronautical engineering in 1994.

1996: Selected as NASA Space Shuttle Pilot

In 1996, Mark Kelly was selected as a NASA Space Shuttle pilot after serving as a naval aviator and flying combat missions during the Gulf War.

December 5, 2001: Launched on STS-108

On December 5, 2001, after several delays, Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on STS-108 with Mark Kelly as pilot, marking his first trip into space.

2001: First Space Mission

In 2001, Mark Kelly flew his first space mission as the pilot of STS-108.

July 2006: Piloted STS-121 Discovery

In July 2006, Mark Kelly piloted STS-121 Discovery, the second "Return to Flight" mission after the loss of Columbia. It launched on the Fourth of July due to weather delays.

2006: Piloted STS-121

In 2006, Kelly piloted STS-121.

2008: Commanded STS-124

In 2008, Kelly commanded STS-124.

2009: 54 days in space

As of 2009, Mark Kelly had logged over 54 days in space overall.

February 4, 2011: Kelly to Remain Commander of Mission

On February 4, 2011, NASA announced that Mark Kelly would remain commander of the STS-134 mission after his wife's shooting, due to her recovery progress.

April 29, 2011: First Launch Attempt of STS-134 Scrubbed

On April 29, 2011, the first launch attempt of STS-134 was scrubbed. Gabby Giffords attended. President Barack Obama also visited Kennedy Space Center.

May 16, 2011: Launched on STS-134

STS-134 launched on May 16, 2011.

June 21, 2011: Announced Retirement from Navy and NASA

On June 21, 2011, Mark Kelly announced his retirement from both the Navy and NASA, effective October 1, citing Gabby Giffords's needs during her recovery.

2011: Delivered Paid Speeches for Shaklee

From 2011 to 2016, Mark Kelly delivered paid speeches on behalf of Shaklee, a multi-level marketing distributor of nutritional supplements, in the U.S. and in China.

2011: Advocacy for Gun Control After Wife's Shooting

In 2011, Mark Kelly became an outspoken advocate for gun control following the attempted assassination of his wife, Gabby Giffords, in the Tucson mass shooting.

March 28, 2012: Joined SpaceX Safety Advisory Panel

On March 28, 2012, SpaceX announced that Mark Kelly would be part of an independent safety advisory panel.

January 2013: Started Americans for Responsible Solutions

In January 2013, weeks after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords started a nonprofit political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), to promote solutions to gun violence.

March 31, 2013: Called for Universal Background Checks

On March 31, 2013, Mark Kelly advocated for universal background checks, stating it's the most common-sense thing to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from accessing weapons.

2013: Director of Flight Crew Operations

Beginning in 2013, Mark Kelly served as Director of Flight Crew Operations for World View Enterprises.

2013: Founded Americans for Responsible Solutions

In 2013, Kelly and Giffords founded Americans for Responsible Solutions, a political action committee that campaigned for gun control measures.

2014: Co-authored "Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence"

In 2014, Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly co-authored "Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence".

Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence

Check it on Amazon

2016: Delivered Paid Speeches for Shaklee

From 2011 to 2016, Mark Kelly delivered paid speeches on behalf of Shaklee, a multi-level marketing distributor of nutritional supplements, in the U.S. and in China.

2016: ARS Merged with Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence

In 2016, Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS) merged with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence to become Giffords, advocating for background checks and red flag laws.

December 31, 2018: Jon Kyl Resigned Senate Seat

On December 31, 2018, Jon Kyl resigned from the U.S. Senate seat to which he was appointed after John McCain's death.

February 12, 2019: Announced Candidacy for U.S. Senate

On February 12, 2019, Kelly announced his candidacy for Arizona's Class 3 U.S. Senate seat in the 2020 special election.

2019: Kelly Left World View

In 2019, Mark Kelly left World View Enterprises before his Senate campaign.

August 4, 2020: Won Democratic Primary

On August 4, 2020, Mark Kelly won the Democratic primary for Arizona's Class 3 U.S. Senate seat.

November 4, 2020: Elected to Senate

On November 4, 2020, the Associated Press called the race for Mark Kelly, marking the first time since 1953 that Arizona has had two Democratic senators.

December 2, 2020: First Senate Vote

On December 2, 2020, Mark Kelly cast his first Senate vote, a "no" vote on the nomination of Kathryn C. Davis to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

2020: Kelly becomes Senator from Arizona

In 2020, Mark Kelly became the senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat he has held since then.

2020: Kelly runs as a moderate

In 2020, Mark Kelly ran as a moderate candidate, voicing support for bipartisanship.

February 2021: Vote to Convict Trump and Disdain

In February 2021, Mark Kelly voted to convict Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment trial and has been outspoken in his disdain for him.

October 2022: Kelly's Voting Record in Line with Biden

As of October 2022, Mark Kelly has voted in line with President Joe Biden's stated position 94.5% of the time.

2022: Advocacy for Oil Drilling Expansion

In 2022, Mark Kelly advocated for an expansion of oil drilling in response to rising gas prices.

2022: Elected to Full Senate Term

In 2022, Mark Kelly was elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate, defeating Republican challenger Blake Masters.

2022: Re-elected to Senate

In 2022, Mark Kelly was re-elected to the Senate, defeating Republican nominee Blake Masters.

January 2023: Arizona Indian Tribes Bills Signed into Law

In January 2023, President Joe Biden signed into law three bills regarding Arizona Indian tribes, introduced by Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema. These included the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act, the Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act, and the Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act, allocating resources and water rights to the respective tribes.

2023: Bipartisan END FENTANYL Act Passed

In 2023, Mark Kelly co-sponsored the bipartisan END FENTANYL Act, which became law. This law mandates that United States Customs and Border Protection refresh its interdiction procedures at least every three years to mitigate narcotics and human trafficking across the U.S. southern border.

July 2024: Blaming Trump for Sinking Border Bill

In July 2024, Mark Kelly blamed former President Donald Trump for sinking a bipartisan border bill.

2024: Considered for Vice Presidential Nomination

In 2024, Mark Kelly was reportedly one of the leading contenders for the Democratic vice presidential nomination but Kamala Harris ultimately chose Tim Walz.