NASA will hold a news conference Friday to officially announce the decision of Mark Kelly, the astronaut husband of wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who is scheduled to fly with the space shuttle Endeavour on April 19.
Unofficially, an unnamed source close to the space shuttle program said Friday morning that Kelly has decided he will complete his mission and fly with Endeavour.
Kelly is pegged to command the two-week mission, which is the final flight for the shuttle. There has been widespread speculation about whether Kelly would drop out of the mission.
NASA has a briefing scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Tx. where the news is expected to be confirmed.
Kelly is scheduled to attend the meeting, according to NASA's website.
Kelly's wife Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head on Jan. 8 while attending a gathering with constituents at a Tucson shopping centre.
She was one of 19 people shot by a gunman. Six of those shot have died. All of the other wounded have now been released from hospital.
Kelly took a leave from his training for the mission after Giffords was shot in January.
Since then she has been moved to Houston for rehab, and has progressed to the point where she can stand on her own feet.
Kelly recently predicted his wife would be able to walk back into the hospital within two months, to thank those who nursed her back to health.
