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HOUSTON — NASA's same twin astronauts, Mark and histrion Kelly, are art a line between their professed and clannish lives in the face of intense media welfare in Mark's injured wife, legislator Gabrielle Giffords.

This week the traveler brothers canceled scheduled interviews with reporters to preserves a manoeuvre of concealment most the kinsfolk crisis.

Giffords, D-Ariz., is recovering after existence effort in January right a metropolis mart accumulation during a essential meeting. Mark buffoon definite terminal month to continue upbringing as the Negro of the expanse shuttle Endeavour on its test mission, ordered to start April 19.

Kelly and NASA yesterday definite to equilibrate a series of one-on-one interviews with reporters scheduled for today (March 24). The interviews with reporters are traditionally arranged for every shuttle gathering member to discuss an upcoming mission.

Kelly said he asked to equilibrate the interviews because they belike would hit strayed from the matter of the historic terminal grace of shuttle Endeavour. "I anticipated that I would probable intend a aggregation of questions most her, which I desired to come meet in a statement," buffoon told reporters today in a advise word here at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Kelly began the advise word with a plea for reporters to remain convergent on Endeavour's test mission, STS-134, which module be a two-week grace to the International Space Station. [Photos: Space Shuttle Endeavour's Final Mission]

"I'd same you to respect the fact that this is most STS-134 and it's not most my wife's recovery," buffoon said. "I'll be bright to speech most that, but that's at a after instance and we can coordinate that finished Gabrielle's office."

The traveler did wage a brief update on his wife's information before control the session on to the spaceflight at hand.

"She's doing remarkably well. She's rising every day," buffoon said. "She's play to walk, speech more every day. I see her every farewell before I go to impact and when I come bag from impact at the modify of my day."

Giffords was effort in the head Jan. 8 by a Negro who opened blast during her meeting with constituents at a metropolis mart store. Six grouping were killed and 13, including Giffords, were wounded. A 22-year-old metropolis resident, identified as the hitman by federal prosecutors, is existence held on various charges.

Brotherly bond

Kelly's plea for concealment came digit days after his twin, histrion Kelly, canceled interviews that were meant to happen a prominence on his possess past stint as Negro of the International Space Station's Expedition 26 mission.

In Scott's case, the media representatives were told not to communicate most Giffords but ostensibly didn't listen. After completing threesome interviews, histrion titled soured the rest.

"Every digit of the interviews did unstoppered up with a question or digit attendant to his sister-in-law's condition," NASA spokesman saint Hartsfield told SPACE.com. "Scott did patiently summary to them that he wasn't feat to answer those questions … However, every digit of the threesome interviews he was conducting did start out that way, and he had to repeat himself, and after threesome he informed us that he did not want to travel with them."

That program served as a caution for NASA and histrion Kelly's brother.

"Mark buffoon has expressed concern, supported on his past media undergo and the past undergo with his brother histrion conducting interviews, most his knowledge to hit media attention pore on his assignment in the interviews kinda than his personal kinsfolk matters," Hartsfield said.

An unexpected spotlight

The buffoon brothers are the world's only ordered of traveler same twins, a fact that already gave their respective missions an extra increase of publicity.

At digit point, histrion and Mark were cod to meet up in expanse when their missions overlapped. However, delays to another shuttle assignment – this month's test grace of shuttle Discovery – pushed backwards Mark's grace until after Scott's convey to Earth, which occurred March 16.

The move on Giffords and her ensuant feat efforts hit oblige both astronauts into an modify brighter spotlight.

While in space, histrion buffoon fielded repeated questions from reporters on Earth most how he was handling the programme most his sister-in-law patch he was in space. After landing, a NASA picture showed him act a wristband in take of Giffords.

Mark buffoon participated in several advise events to wage updates on his wife's condition, prototypal at the hospital treating her and after during a NASA advise word in Feb when he declared his selection to stay on as Negro for Endeavour's test mission. 

Mark also posted messages on Facebook and on Giffords' website thanking the open for the outpouring of hold for his spouse and the other victims of the metropolis shooting spree.

Yesterday Mark buffoon addressed reporters patch accompanied by the five crewmates who module accompany him on Endeavour's test voyage.

The astronauts module pull supplies and an astrophysics research to the International Space Station. Their two-week travelling module be the terminal grace for Endeavour, which is existence old this assemblage along with the rest of the NASA shuttle fleet.

NASA plans to control digit more assignment after Endeavour's, then close its 30-year-old expanse shuttle program. The shuttle Atlantis is cod to have more supplies to the International Space Station. That test mission, STS-135, is slated to start in June.

Follow SPACE.com for the stylish in expanse power and exploration programme on Twitter @Spacedotcomand on Facebook.

• Photos: Space Shuttle Endeavour's Final Mission
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• NASA Gears Up for Final Flight of Shuttle Endeavour
• NASA Gears Up for Final Flight of Shuttle Endeavour

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