Sen. Mark Kelly to reach new heights with US Astronaut Hall of Fame induction

PHOENIX – Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame next month, joining John Glenn as the only senators to receive the honor.

The ceremony is set for May 6 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Merritt Island, Florida.

Kelly, a former Navy pilot, was a NASA astronaut from 1996 to 2011. He completed four Space Shuttle missions, two as pilot two as commander.

He will join his twin brother in the Hall of Fame when he is inducted along with Roy D. Bridges, a former pilot and astronaut who served as Kennedy Space Center director from 1997 to 2003. Scott Kelly, who joined NASA the same year as his brother and retired in 2016, was inducted in 2021.

Inductees are selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians and journalists in a process administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

“The Hall of Fame has inducted 105 individuals with this honor; this year’s nominees are perfect examples of the accomplished individuals who are inducted each year,” Curt Brown, board chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, said in a press release in February.

“Both Kelly and Bridges represent the committed spirit of exploration, bravery and teamwork that make our space program a continued success.”

Ahead of his induction, Mark Kelly is scheduled to appear at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix on Friday morning to highlight STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers and perform science experiments with local students.

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