Bob Behnken

Bob Behnken
Behnken in 2022
Born
Robert Louis Behnken

(1970-07-28) July 28, 1970 (age 53)
EducationWashington University (BS)
California Institute of Technology (MS, PhD)
SpouseMegan McArthur
Space career
NASA astronaut
RankColonel, USAF
Time in space
93d 11h 42m
SelectionNASA Group 18 (2000)
Total EVAs
10
Total EVA time
61h 10m
MissionsSTS-123
STS-130
SpX-DM2 (Expedition 63)
Mission insignia

Robert Louis Behnken (/ˈbɛnkən/;[1] born July 28, 1970) is an American engineer, a former NASA astronaut, and former Chief of the Astronaut Office.

Behnken holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and the rank of colonel in the U.S. Air Force, where he served before joining NASA in 2000. He flew aboard Space Shuttle missions STS-123 (2008) and STS-130 (2010) as a mission specialist, accumulating over 708 hours in space, including 55 hours of spacewalk time.[2][3] He is married to fellow astronaut Megan McArthur.[4]

Following retirement of the Space Shuttle, Behnken was Chief of the Astronaut Office from 2012 to 2015. Assigned to the SpaceX Dragon 2 in 2018 as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, Behnken launched aboard the spacecraft's first crewed mission with fellow astronaut Doug Hurley on May 30, 2020, and became one of the first two astronauts launching aboard a commercial orbital spacecraft in spaceflight history.[5] The mission, Crew Dragon Demo-2, took Behnken and Hurley to the International Space Station (ISS), where they docked and stayed aboard for 62 days. Behnken completed four spacewalks with NASA Astronaut Christopher Cassidy.[6]

  1. ^ "This is Bob Behnken" on YouTube
  2. ^ "NASA Astronauts Conclude Today's Spacewalk – Space Station". blogs.nasa.gov. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  3. ^ "Robert L. Behnken (Colonel, USAF, PH.D.) NASA Astronaut". NASA. August 3, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  4. ^ Malik, Tariq (May 4, 2009). "Astronauts eager for last Hubble visit: Final telescope servicing mission brings veterans and rookies together". Space.com. NBC News. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  5. ^ "NASA Selects Astronauts for First U.S. Commercial Spaceflights". NASA. July 9, 2015.
  6. ^ "NASA TV Coverage Set for Final Space Station Spacewalk Power Upgrades". NASA. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.

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