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 Edward Kelly is an American politician, retired astronaut, and naval officer. Currently serving as the senior United States Senator from Arizona since 2020, he is a member of the Democratic Party. His background as an astronaut distinguishes him within the political landscape.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1962: First Democrat to win the seat since 1962

In 2020, when Mark Kelly won the senate seat, he became the first Democrat to win the seat since 1962.

December 1987: Became a Naval Aviator

In December 1987, Mark Kelly became a naval aviator and received initial training on the Grumman 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. After the Gulf War, Kelly received his master's degree and then attended U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.

1996: Selected as NASA Space Shuttle Pilot

In 1996, Mark Kelly was selected as a NASA Space Shuttle pilot.

December 5, 2001: Launched on STS-108

On December 5, 2001, after several delays, Endeavour launched on the STS-108 mission, the final Shuttle mission of the year.

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 in February 2003. STS-121 became the first shuttle mission to launch on the Fourth of July due to weather delays.

2006: Piloted STS-121

In 2006, Mark Kelly piloted STS-121.

2008: Commanded STS-124

In 2008, Mark Kelly commanded STS-124.

February 4, 2011: NASA Announced Kelly Would Remain Commander of Mission

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

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: Co-Authored "Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience"

In 2011, Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords coauthored "Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience," providing biographical information and detailing the assassination attempt on Giffords and her recovery.

Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience

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2011: Kelly Advocates for Gun Control

In 2011, Mark Kelly became an outspoken advocate for gun control following the attempted assassination of his wife, former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, during 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 of human spaceflight safety experts.

2012: Authored "Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story"

In 2012, Mark Kelly's second book, "Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story", illustrated by C. F. Payne, became a New York Times number one bestseller.

Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story (The Mousetronaut Series)

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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: Spoke About Universal Background Checks

On March 31, 2013, Mark Kelly stated that "any bill that does not include a universal background check is a mistake" regarding gun control.

2013: Director of Flight Crew Operations at World View Enterprises

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

2013: Founded Americans for Responsible Solutions

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

2014: Coauthored "Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence"

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

Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence

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2015: Co-wrote "Astrotwins: Project Blastoff"

In 2015, Mark Kelly and Martha Freeman co-wrote "Astrotwins: Project Blastoff", a fictional story dedicated to Scott Kelly.

Astrotwins -- Project Blastoff

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2016: Delivered Paid Speeches for Shaklee

From 2011 to 2016, Mark Kelly delivered paid speeches in the U.S. and China on behalf of Shaklee.

2016: Americans for Responsible Solutions Merged with Law Center

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.

2016: Published "Astrotwins—Project Rescue"

In 2016, the sequel to Astrotwins: Project Blastoff, Astrotwins—Project Rescue, was published.

February 12, 2019: Announced Run for Senate

On February 12, 2019, Mark Kelly announced that he would run as a Democrat in the 2020 U.S. Senate special election in Arizona.

2019: Left World View Enterprises

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

November 4, 2020: The Associated Press Called the Race for Kelly

On November 4, 2020, the Associated Press called the race for Mark Kelly. His election marks 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: Became Senator

In 2020, Mark Kelly became the senior United States senator from Arizona, a position he has held since then. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

2020: Kelly Runs as a Moderate

In 2020, Mark Kelly ran as a moderate candidate, emphasizing bipartisanship. Since entering the Senate, he has supported abolishing the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation and raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. He has also criticized President Joe Biden's approach to border security.

2020: Elected to the Senate

In 2020, Mark Kelly was first elected to the Senate in a special election. He defeated incumbent Republican Martha McSally in the general election.

January 3, 2021: Other senators and representatives took office at the opening of the 117th Congress

Senators and representatives elected in 2020, took office at the opening of the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021, but Mark Kelly took office during the 116th Congress shortly after Arizona certified its election results on November 30.

February 2021: Kelly Votes to Convict Trump

In February 2021, Mark Kelly voted to convict Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection during Trump's second impeachment trial, and has openly expressed his disdain for him.

2021: Kelly Receives High Score from League of Conservation Voters

In 2021, Mark Kelly received a 97% score from the League of Conservation Voters, reflecting his support for climate action. However, he has stated he "does not favor" the Green New Deal.

October 2022: Kelly's Voting Record Aligns with Biden's Stance

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

2022: Kelly Advocates for Oil Drilling Expansion

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

2022: Kelly Reelected

In 2022, Mark Kelly was reelected, defeating Republican nominee Blake Masters by 125,719 votes.

2022: Reelected to a Full Term

Mark Kelly was reelected to a full term in 2022.

January 2023: Kelly's Bills Regarding Indian Tribes Signed into Law

In January 2023, President Joe Biden signed into law three bills introduced by Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema concerning Indian tribes. 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, each aimed at improving water infrastructure and rights for the respective tribes.

2023: Kelly Co-sponsors Bipartisan END FENTANYL Act

In 2023, during the 118th Congress, Mark Kelly co-sponsored the bipartisan END FENTANYL Act, which was passed into law. The law mandates United States Customs and Border Protection to refresh its interdiction procedures at least every three years, aiming to mitigate narcotics and human trafficking across the U.S. southern border.

July 2024: Kelly Blames Trump for Sinking Border Bill

In July 2024, Mark Kelly voiced his support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, emphasizing that "Dreamers are as American as anyone." He also blamed former President Donald Trump for obstructing a bipartisan border bill.