They’re best friends and veterans of the astronaut corps, and each is married to another astronaut. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the NASA astronauts who operated SpaceX’s successful human test flight using the Crew Dragon capsule, will host a … NASA Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley’s Scientific Journeys aboard the Space Station Docking their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station in May completed the first part of the mission for NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley on the first crewed test flight for the Commercial Crew Program (CCP). Mr. Behnken and Ms. McArthur’s son, Theodore, is 6. But the other part of it, you have to keep in mind, is this is test, evaluation development, and it’s part of the process.”. He piloted space shuttle missions STS-127 (July 2009) and STS-135 (July 2011), the final flight of the space shuttle program. There are a lot of similarities between Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 3:22 p.m. EDT (1922 GMT), launching Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on a 19-hour ride aboard the company's newly designed Crew Dragon capsule bound for the International Space Station. "It's inspiring to me and I'm just excited to be a part of it. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/science/bob-behnken-doug-hurley.html Mr. Hurley and Ms. Nyberg’s son, Jack, is 10. Doug Hurley has been serving in NASA since 2000 and is a veteran of two spaceflights. This still image taken from NASA TV, shows the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, with astronauts Bob Behnken (front) and Doug Hurley, at Launch Coomplex 39A in Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 27, 2020. Astronaut Doug Hurley is all set to launch off to the International Space Station along with astronaut Bob Behnken with the Demo-2 Crew Dragon launch. Here is everything you need to know about Hurley and Behnken, the astronauts NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has called "truly the best of us.". This still image taken from NASA TV, shows the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, with astronauts Bob Behnken (front) and Doug Hurley, at Launch Coomplex 39A in Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 27, 2020. The astronauts Robert L. Behnken, left, and Douglas G. Hurley, donning their spacesuits during a dress rehearsal of SpaceX’s uncrewed In-Flight Abort Test in January. They even share the same taste in music. After nearly a 24 hour journey, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, near Pensacola, FL. He's flown on two spaceflights and will make a third, historic spaceflight as … “We’re kind of at the point in our experience — whether it’s flying in the T-38 or executing in a SpaceX simulation or approaching and docking to the International Space Station — where we, in addition to finishing each other’s sentences, we can predict, you know, almost by body language, what the person’s opinion is or what they’re going to do, what their next action is going to be.”, The rapport and good humor between the astronauts was evident in a video created by NASA. Other astronauts who could have been in this spotlight, including Nicole Mann — one of two NASA astronauts assigned to a future flight on another spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner — do not begrudge Mr. Behnken and Mr. Hurley. “It feels kind of like one of your close family members having a great lifetime achievement,” she said, “and really, that’s what it is.”, Meet Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, SpaceX’s First NASA Astronauts. Mr. Behnken, 49, is a native of Saint Ann, Mo., graduating from Washington University in St. Louis with degrees in physics and mechanical engineering. The space station is short-staffed at the moment, so Mr. Behnken and Mr. Hurley will stay longer to pitch in with operations. “Certainly, it’s disappointing,” Mr. Hurley said. Mr. Behnken said he was looking forward to the splashdown at the end of their mission before adding, with a grin, “I’m expecting a little bit of vomiting, maybe, to happen in that end game. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley strapped into Crew Dragon prior to the launch scrub May 27. Saturday's SpaceX Demo-2 test flight is also historic in that it would mark the first time in nearly a decade that the U.S. is sending American astronauts into space from American soil, ditching an expensive dependency on Russia for seats to space. Behnken is married to fellow NASA astronaut K. Megan McArthur and has a young son. [When to watch SpaceX’s next NASA launch of astronauts. The Crew Dragon launched successfully on Saturday. Mr. Behnken has devoted time in the huge pool that NASA uses to rehearse spacewalks and Mr. Hurley has taken refresher classes on the operation of the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm. What happened? The SpaceX Demo-2 successfully launched with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, and is making its way to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are about to strap into SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, making them the first people that Elon Musk's company will … Mr. Behnken said he and Mr. Hurley were quickly and fully informed about the incident and the subsequent investigation as well as changes to the design. SpaceX Falcon 9, with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken in the Crew Dragon capsule, lifts off from Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. For space missions, usually planned in precise detail, this trip is unusually open-ended. When he's not flying to space, he enjoys hunting and spending time with his family in the Texas Hill Country, according to his official NASA biography. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley were the first NASA astronauts to fly to and from orbit in a spacecraft built and managed by the private company SpaceX. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? On Saturday, May 30, Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken became the first astronauts to launch to orbit from the United States in almost nine years. NASA astronauts Robert Behnken, left, and Doug Hurley wave as they leave a news conference after they arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in … Hurley, 53, was a U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot prior to being selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2000. Mr. Hurley, 53, grew up in Apalachin, N.Y., outside Binghamton. Hurley and Behnken are married to fellow members of their 2000 astronaut class at NASA: newly retired Karen Nyberg and Megan McArthur. "Being an astronaut has been a little bit of an abstraction thing for him because he’s seen me do it in old videos but he hasn’t seen me do it for real. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will have performed duties and conducted experiments as crew on board the ISS for several months. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, and Doug Hurley, are settling in on board the International Space Station (ISS) after arriving aboard the first commercially built and operated US spacecraft to transport humans into orbit. Douglas Gerald Hurley (born October 21, 1966) is an American engineer, former Marine Corps pilot and current NASA astronaut. Bringing spaceflight capabilities back to the U.S. is important to him so that his son can witness him launch, Behnken said in a video released by NASA. The launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but rescheduled due to inclement weather. They have each flown to space twice on space shuttle missions, although never on the same mission. "Endeavor welcome to the International Space Station. More disconcerting, the Crew Dragon that had made the successful trip to space exploded on a test stand while being fueled for a test firing of its thrusters. “And yes,” he said, “the celebratory vomiting at the end of the mission will be excellent.”. He piloted two spaceflight missions in July 2009 and July 2011, and has logged a total of 683 hours in space. SpaceX and NASA are set to launch two American astronauts to the International Space Station on Saturday, in the first crewed mission for Elon Musk's private space company. 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