WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Captain Mark Kelly, the astronaut who commanded the final Space Shuttle Endeavour flight, will retire from the Navy and NASA to focus on his wife Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' recovery and work on a memoir with her.
"I want to be by her side. Stepping aside from my work in the Navy and at NASA will allow me to be with her and with my two daughters," Kelly said in a statement posted to his Facebook page on Tuesday.
Giffords is recovering after being shot through the head at a Congressional outreach event in Tucson on January 8.
It also will tell the story of her recovery process and trace Kelly's career from decorated Desert Storm combat pilot to his recent mission as shuttle commander, the statement said.
Jeffrey Zaslow, an author and Wall Street Journal columnist, will collaborate on the book, Scribner said.
A publication date for the memoir has not been set. Scribner said a portion of the net proceeds will go to charity in Tucson and Arizona.
"Gabby and I are forever grateful for the heartfelt support we've received over these many months. We are looking forward to sharing our story," said Kelly in the Scribner statement.
Source; http://www.wtkr.com/news/sns-rt-us-giffords-kelly-rtre75k4sq-20110621,0,2170744.story