After his wife Gabby Giffords was shot, astronaut Mark Kelly entered politics.

Mark Kelly, an astronaut, author, and U.S. Sen. from Arizona, was a top contender as Vice President Kamala Harris' Democratic running mate pick on Monday morning. If he were still chosen, he could bring a dramatic life story to the ticket.

Donald Trump and his vice-presidential nominee, JD Vance, are being targeted by Harris in the race for the presidency.

Kelly experienced both the thrill of space travel as a NASA astronaut and the devastating loss of his wife, Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head during a 2011 assassination attempt.

He is the author of two books written with Giffords and also wrote four astronaut-themed children's books.

"From my time in the Navy and at NASA, serving in the United States Senate, and visiting our troops overseas, I've learned that when your country calls you to serve, you always answer the call," Kelly posted to X on Sunday, sparking speculation about her potential addition to the ticket.

On Monday, as the choice of picks narrowed quickly, many observers interpreted the cryptic message as a sign that he had already been offered the opportunity.

Kelly was born in New Jersey in 1964.

As a U.S. Navy aviator, he flew 39 missions during the Gulf War and served aboard four space shuttle missions, two of which he commanded.

He defeated Republican incumbent Martha McSally to win his Senate seat in 2020.

On Nov. 10, 2007, Kelly and Giffords got married. Tragically, she was nearly killed just over three years later, on Jan. 6, 2011, while meeting with her constituents in Tucson, Arizona.

In 2011, the book "Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope" was released, detailing the journey of Gabby Giffords and her companions before and after the tragedy that ended her political career.

""Gabby frequently played with my wedding ring by slipping it off my finger and moving it from her thumb to her forefinger to her middle finger as a fidgeting ritual," Kelly writes."

"Her eyes remained closed, tubes were everywhere …"

The first sign of hope emerged five days after she was nearly killed, as that ritual proved to be effective.

"As she held my hand, she suddenly pulled the ring off and began to move it around in her fingers, just like always. Despite her eyes remaining closed and tubes everywhere, she was somehow able to direct the fingers of her one good hand to rediscover her old pastime."

I was overwhelmed, as he added, 'I was more than surprised'.

Four months after his wife's near-murder, Kelly was eagerly anticipating the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavour.

Kelly commanded the spacecraft that marked the final mission into space for both the Endeavour and Kelly.

In "Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence," Kelly and Giffords addressed the experience from a more politically complex perspective, along with Harry Jaffe, in 2014.

The horrific shooting in Tucson served as the backdrop for the book, with the man's handgun bullets framing its narrative.

Giffords survived. But six people were killed and 15 others were wounded.

The couple expressed their fear that the country has strayed from the right course regarding the gun issue in their book.

"The right to bear arms, which we both cherish, has been transformed into a radical concept."