Bob Behnken facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bob Behnken
Behnken in 2022
Born	Robert Louis Behnken (1970-07-28) July 28, 1970 (age 54) St. Ann, Missouri, U.S.
Space career
NASA astronaut
Rank	Colonel, USAF
Time in space	93d 11h 42m
Selection	NASA Group 18 (2000)
Total EVAs	10
Total EVA time	61h 10m
Missions	STS-123 STS-130 SpX-DM2 (Expedition 63)
Mission insignia

Robert Louis Behnken (born July 28, 1970) is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut. He also used to be the head of the Astronaut Office.

Behnken has a PhD in mechanical engineering. He was a colonel in the U.S. Air Force before joining NASA in 2000. He flew on two Space Shuttle missions: STS-123 in 2008 and STS-130 in 2010. He spent over 708 hours in space, including 55 hours doing spacewalks. He is married to fellow astronaut Megan McArthur.

After the Space Shuttle program ended, Behnken led the Astronaut Office from 2012 to 2015. In 2018, he was chosen for the SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft. He launched on its first crewed mission with astronaut Doug Hurley on May 30, 2020. This made them the first astronauts to launch on a commercial spacecraft. Their mission, Crew Dragon Demo-2, took them to the International Space Station (ISS). They stayed there for 62 days. Behnken did four spacewalks with NASA astronaut Christopher Cassidy.

Becoming an Astronaut: Bob Behnken's Journey

Early Life and Education

Robert Behnken grew up in St. Ann, Missouri. He went to Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights, Missouri. After high school, he studied at Washington University in St. Louis. In 1992, he earned degrees in mechanical engineering and physics.

He then went to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He earned his master's degree in 1993 and his PhD in 1997. Both of these advanced degrees were in mechanical engineering. At Caltech, he shared a professor with another future NASA astronaut, Garrett Reisman.

Air Force Career

Before joining NASA, Behnken was part of the Air Force ROTC program. After finishing graduate school, he joined the Air Force. He worked at Eglin AFB, Florida, on new munitions systems.

Later, he attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in Edwards AFB, California. After graduating, he became a lead flight test engineer for the F-22 program. He also flew in F-15 and F-16 aircraft to support the F-22 tests.

NASA Missions and Spacewalks

Behnken doing a spacewalk during the STS-130 mission.

NASA chose Bob Behnken as an astronaut candidate in July 2000. He started his training in August 2000. After 18 months of training, he worked at Kennedy Space Center. He helped with Space Shuttle launches and landings.

In 2006, Behnken lived and worked underwater for seven days. This was part of the NEEMO 11 mission. He was an aquanaut aboard the Aquarius underwater lab.

STS-123 Space Shuttle Mission

STS-123 crew on board the ISS.

Behnken was a crew member on the STS-123 mission in March 2008. This mission delivered parts for the International Space Station. These parts included the Japanese Experiment Module and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. Behnken performed three spacewalks during this mission.

STS-130 Space Shuttle Mission

Behnken flew to space a second time on STS-130. This mission launched on February 8, 2010. It delivered the Tranquility module and the Cupola to the International Space Station. Behnken completed three more spacewalks on this mission.

Leading the Astronaut Office

In July 2012, Behnken became the Chief of the Astronaut Office. He took over from Peggy Whitson. He held this important job until July 2015. After that, he was chosen to train for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

SpaceX Demo-2 Mission

In August 2018, Behnken was assigned to the first test flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon. This mission was called SpX-DM2. Behnken and his fellow crewmate Douglas Hurley were sometimes compared to the fictional brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie. This was because of their friendship and the similar names.

The mission successfully launched on May 30, 2020. The spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on May 31, 2020. Behnken and Hurley joined the ISS Expedition 63 crew. This crew included NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoli Ivanishin. They returned to Earth in the same capsule on August 2, 2020. Behnken's seat in the SpaceX Endeavour was later used by his wife, K. Megan McArthur, on her SpaceX Crew-2 mission.

Behnken retired from NASA on November 11, 2022.

Personal Life

Bob Behnken is married to fellow astronaut Megan McArthur. They have one son together. Behnken has an amateur radio license. His wife flew on the Crew-2 mission using the same Dragon capsule and seat that he used. She returned from the International Space Station on November 8, 2021.

Awards and Honors

• Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Senior, Washington University (1992)
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (1993–1996)
• Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, Company Grade Officer of the Year (1997)
• Air Force Achievement Medal (1997); Air Force Commendation Medal (1998, 2000)
• Distinguished graduate from the USAF Test Pilot School Program (1999)
• Recipient of the USAF Test Pilot School Colonel Ray Jones Award as the top Flight Test Engineer/Flight Test Navigator in class 98B.
• In May 2021, SpaceX named two ships after Behnken and his Demo-2 crewmate, Doug Hurley. The ships, used for rocket recovery, are called Doug and Bob.
• On January 31, 2023, Behnken received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. This award was for his role in NASA's SpaceX Demonstration Mission-2 (Demo-2) in 2020.

See also

In Spanish: Robert L. Behnken para niños