Mark Kelly is not only a politician but also an astronaut, an engineer, a retired U.S Navy captain, an author, an aerospace executive, and the United States Senator-elect from the state of Arizona. He is all set to take office on the 30th of November 2020.
Mark Kelly Net Worth is Between $15M-$27M
Mark Kelly is said to have an estimated net worth between $15 million-$27 million, out of which $3.4 million is shared with his current wife. Mark Kelly earned $125,000 by making speeches at colleges around the United States and also made two international speeches. He was also paid $5,000 to endorse the watch brand, Breitling. He also owns stock in a petroleum refiner.
Son of Retired Police Officer
Mark Edward Kelly was born on 21st February in 1964 to retired police officers, Richard and Patricia, and has an Irish background. He grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. He also had a twin brother, Scott Kelly.
Mark Kelly attended school at Mountain High School and then went on to attain a Bachelor of Science degree in marine engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the year 1986.
In the year 1994, he completed his Master of Science in aeronautical engineering from the U.S Naval Postgraduate School.
Who is Mark Kelly’s Wife?
Mark Edward Kelly got married to Amelia Victoria Babis in 1989 and had two daughters, Claudia Kelly and Claire Kelly. However, the couple did not have a successful marriage and went their separate ways in 2004.
Three years later, on November 10th, 2007, he married Gabby Giffords who is a U.S Representative. The ceremony saw a toast that was given by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, he said
“To a bride who moves at a velocity that exceeds that of anyone else in Washington, and a groom who moves at a velocity that exceeds 17,000 miles per hour”
His Career As A Navy Officer
In 1987, Mark Kelly was a Naval aviator and first trained on the A-6E Intruder aircraft. He was assigned to make an attack on squadron 115 in Japan. He flew for 39 Combat missions in Operation Desert Storm.
Mark Kelly attended the U.S Naval Test Pilot School where he registered more than 5,000 hours in 50 different aircraft.
He also has the achievement of two defensive superior service medals, one navy achievement medal, two southwest Asia service medals, and an overseas service ribbon amongst many other achievements.
On the 21st of June 2011, Mark Kelly retired from the U.S navy and he took to Facebook to announce the same, he posted
“Words cannot convey my deep gratitude for the opportunities I have been given to serve our great nation. From the day I entered the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the summer of 1982 to the moment I landed the Space Shuttle Endeavour three weeks ago, it has been my privilege to advance the ideals that define the United States of America.“
Space Shuttle Pilot
Mark Kelly and his twin brother Scott Kelly were both chosen by NASA to be Space Shuttle pilots. They were a part of the NASA astronaut corps in 1996. Mark Kelly has registered more than 54 days in space. He also spoke about the difficulties of flying a space shuttle on his 2006 flight, “Discover”. He said
“The Space Shuttle’s a very complex machine. It’s got a lot of moving parts that move and operate at pretty much the limit of what we’ve been able to engineer. Spaceflight is risky. I think with regards to the tank, we’ve reduced some of the risks there. We’ve changed the design a little bit and we’ve made some pretty big strides in trying to get foam not to shed from the tank anymore. So there is some risk reduction there and I guess overall the risk is probably a little less. But this is a risky business, but it’s got a big reward. Everybody onboard Discovery and the space station here thinks it’s worthwhile”
Some of the space shuttles he piloted include, STS-121, STS-108, STS-124, STS-134
Mark Kelly announced his retirement from NASA on the 21st of June 2011 as he needed to look after his wife’s recovery as she was shot in an attempted assassination on January 8th, 2011 that took place in Tuscon.
Career Post Retirement
After his retirement from NASA, Mark Kelly went on to be the author of various books namely, Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story, Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence, Astrotwins—Project Rescue
Mark Kelly is also the co-founder of World View Enterprises. In 2012, SpaceX announced that Mark Kelly is going to be a member of the independent safety advisory panel.
Disclaimer: Celebrity net worth mentioned in the post is just an estimation and not an exact amount. Information was gathered from online sources which are thought to be reliable, but the reader should not assume that such information is up to date or completely accurate or final. If you have any problem relating to its inaccuracy, mail us at contact@bugle24.com
