Washington (CNN) -- Astronaut Mark Kelly will command the upcoming flight of the space shuttle Endeavour, according to a statement released Friday by NASA.
Command of the shuttle flight -- set to launch April 19 -- came under question after the January shooting of Kelly's wife, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Kelly spent the days after the Tucson, Arizona, shooting at his wife's hospital bedside, and NASA had named a backup shuttle commander for the mission.
"I am looking forward to rejoining my (fellow) crew members and finishing our training for the mission," Kelly said in the statement. "We have been preparing for more than 18 months. ... I appreciate the confidence that my NASA management has in me and the rest of my space shuttle crew."
Related: Alleged gunman in Giffords shooting to face federal charges first
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