Mark Kelly Becomes the Fourth Astronaut Elected to Public Office

Retired astronaut Mark Kelly, who participated in NASA’s groundbreaking Twins Study, has now secured his place as the next US senator from Arizona. Kelly, who is married to former Arizona representative Gabby Giffords, ran on a platform of gun law reform, expanding access to healthcare, and bringing a scientific, data-driven and analytical mind to the issues facing our country—which, as the results have shown, must have resonated with the people of Arizona this year.

Identical twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly (left and right, respectively), participating in NASA’s Twins Study. Robert Markowitz/NASA

Interestingly, Kelly is the fourth astronaut to win election to a US federal office. Most notably, John Glenn, one of the first humans to orbit the Earth, served four terms as a Democratic senator from Ohio. Alongside Glenn, Harrison “Jack” Schmitt of the Apollo 17 mission served one term as a Republican senator from New Mexico, and Jack Swigert of Apollo 13 served one term as a Republican representative from Colorado.

In addition to being the latest in what appears this exclusive club of astronauts turned elected officials, Mark Kelly is also joining the ranks of a small—but growing—group of congresspeople with STEM backgrounds who advocate for science and reason in national discourse.