Mark Kelly Quotations

We're doing a lot of inspection on the leading edge of our wing on 114 and 121, the first two flights.

There are a lot of dedicated people out there that don't get the recognition that we get, but they're as important as the people that are sitting in the vehicle.

My family deals with those risks. The best I can do is talk to them about some of those risks. I'm not incredibly specific with them, especially with my kids.

He has a strong record when it comes to supporting our troops. He believes we should continue to give our troops the resources they need to finish the job in Iraq, so we can bring them home as soon as possible.

Having the benefit to our society, not only here in the United States but throughout the world with the amount of invention you get from having a space program, is well worth the risk that an individual like myself has to take by flying in the vehicle.

I think we've done that. But it's not something you really notice, 'cause I've always thought the people here have always done their best, and they continue to do their best. They just might do it a little bit differently.

Later, after flying in the Navy for four or five years, spending some time on an aircraft carrier, I applied to and was accepted in a program where I went to graduate school first and then to the Naval Test Pilots School.

Really the value of this is huge for video editors, production companies, media based industries like mine.

I think I was very interested in the space program as a kid, watching the first Apollo missions to the moon, and it's something I thought that would be a lot of, of fun and exciting and a very worthwhile job.

Well, I have an undergraduate degree, a couple of bachelor's degrees, from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

We don't erect walls around this campus. In fact, we invite the community to be a part of our campus. These random incidents are hard to handle.

Well, right now we're so busy that I kind of had to put all the hobbies on hold. But I like going camping with my kids. I have two daughters; they're 7 and 10 years old.

Three of us will help the other two get suited up, get them in the hatch, and get them out the door.

We've increased patrols ... on that side of campus, and we're examining other things over there as well, from lighting to security fences.

The opportunities for better economic fortunes lie elsewhere. Basically, this area has a lack of jobs that will pay enough for the young people in our area to support families and purchase homes.

You got a lot of sunlight or darkness. It's been difficult for the scientists and, and engineers to come up a, with a material that works well.

You look at it as a privilege. So you really decide that you're going to put the time in and work really hard to get to the point where you're ready.

A trip to space is a big motivator to give up some things in your personal life. Obviously, you can't give up everything and you don't want to.

This is something we've yearned for. We were kind of growing out of our skin here.

There's a lot of interest there in the missions that I fly on and the ones my brother's involved with.

There's been a lot of discussion about NASA culture and changing that. I think our culture has always been one of trying to do a very difficult job and do it well.

It's important to bring things back from the Space Station because, unlike somebody living at the house where the garbage truck comes by twice a week, they don't have that in space.

After the loss of Columbia a couple of years ago, I think we were reminded of the risk. All of us, though, have always known that the Space Shuttle is a very risky vehicle, much more risky than even flying airplanes in combat.

After we get back on the ground, somebody will ultimately decide if this system works well enough to do a repair on the underside of the vehicle.

The ISS crew is going to help us during our EVAs and help us during some of our robotics operations. These guys will be on orbit already.

I'll be helping them getting suited up, getting them in the airlock, getting the airlock prepared, and getting them out the hatch, and then talking them through these three spacewalks.

I personally believe this Agency has always been very dedicated and has always worked as hard as it possibly can to do things as safely and as effectively as possible.

He's working a lot harder than I am. I tell these people that we really appreciate what they're doing for us.

This is a group with a public agenda of hate and violence toward other people. I don't think they're in anyway in consonance with Loyola's beliefs or, quite honestly, individuals or groups of good faith anywhere.

The first two missions have some test objectives, some new capabilities that we're going to try to develop on orbit to possibly be used on later flights.