Doug Hurley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Doug Hurley
Hurley in July 2018
Born	Douglas Gerald Hurley (1966-10-21) October 21, 1966 (age 58) Endicott, New York, U.S.
Space career
NASA astronaut
Rank	Colonel, USMC
Time in space	92d 10h 38m
Selection	NASA Group 18 (2000)
Missions	STS-127 STS-135 SpX-DM2 (Expedition 63)
Mission insignia
Retirement	July 16, 2021

Douglas Gerald Hurley, born on October 21, 1966, is an American engineer and a former pilot for the United States Marine Corps. He also used to be an astronaut for NASA, the U.S. space agency.

He flew two important Space Shuttle missions: STS-127 in July 2009 and STS-135 in July 2011. STS-135 was the very last flight of the Space Shuttle program. Later, he commanded the Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission. This was a big deal because it was the first time astronauts launched into space from American soil since STS-135. He and fellow astronaut Bob Behnken were the first to fly on a commercial spacecraft. He was also the first Marine pilot to fly the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet jet.

Early Life and School

Doug Hurley was born in Endicott, New York, on October 21, 1966. He grew up in Apalachin, New York. In 1984, he finished high school at Owego Free Academy in Owego.

He then went to Tulane University and earned a degree in civil engineering in 1988. He graduated with high honors. He also did very well in Tulane's Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program. He was also a top graduate from the USMC Officer Candidates School.

Marine Corps Career

After college in 1988, Hurley joined the United States Marine Corps as a second lieutenant. He went to training at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. Then, he started flight training in Texas in 1989. He was a top student and became a Naval Aviator (a military pilot) in August 1991.

Hurley then trained to fly the F/A-18 Hornet jet. He was assigned to a squadron called VMFA(AW)-225. With this group, he went on three trips to the Western Pacific. He also took special courses in aviation safety and tactics. He spent four and a half years with the "Vikings" squadron.

In 1997, Hurley was chosen to attend the United States Naval Test Pilot School in Maryland. After graduating in December 1997, he became a test pilot. He flew many different tests, including how well the F/A-18 jet handled and how its weapons worked. He was the first Marine pilot to fly the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. Before becoming an astronaut, he was in charge of operations for his unit. Hurley has flown over 5,500 hours in more than 25 different types of aircraft.

NASA Career

Hurley during the STS-127 mission in July 2009

NASA chose Doug Hurley as a pilot astronaut in July 2000. He started his training in August 2000. After two years of training, he worked on different tasks in the Astronaut Office. He helped with Space Shuttle missions STS-107 and STS-121 at Kennedy Space Center. He also helped with the investigation after the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.

He also worked in Russia as the NASA Director of Operations. He was based at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

STS-127 Mission

In July 2009, Hurley was the pilot for the STS-127 mission. This mission went to the International Space Station (ISS). The crew delivered new parts for the Japanese section of the station. The mission lasted for 15 days, 16 hours, and 45 minutes.

STS-135 Mission

STS-135 and Expedition 28 crews inside the Zvezda service module on the ISS in July 2011

In July 2011, Hurley went to space again on the very last Space Shuttle flight, STS-135. He flew on the Space Shuttle Atlantis. This mission brought supplies to the International Space Station. It also tested a system to refuel spacecraft in space using robots. The STS-135 mission lasted for 12 days, 18 hours, 27 minutes, and 56 seconds.

After returning to Earth, he worked on new programs for NASA's Flight Crew Operations. In 2014, he became the Assistant Director for the Commercial Crew Program. This program works with private companies to send astronauts to space.

SpaceX Demo-2 Mission

In July 2015, NASA announced that Hurley would be one of the first astronauts to fly on new U.S. commercial spacecraft. He began training with companies like Boeing and SpaceX. In August 2018, Hurley was chosen for SpaceX-DM2. This was the first test flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. He was the commander of this important flight.

Hurley and his fellow crewmember, Bob Behnken, were sometimes compared to the fictional brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie. This was because of their close friendship during the mission. The Crew Dragon successfully launched on May 30, 2020. It docked with the International Space Station on May 31, 2020.

The crew joined the Expedition 63 crew on the ISS. This crew included NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoli Ivanishin. The Crew Dragon undocked from the ISS on August 1, 2020. It returned safely to Earth on August 2, 2020, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico.

Retirement from NASA

On July 16, 2021, NASA announced that Doug Hurley was retiring. He had served the agency for 21 years. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised Hurley. He said Hurley's leadership and skills were very important to NASA's space program.

Awards and Honors

Doug Hurley has received many awards for his service.

• He won the Stephen A. Hazelrigg Memorial Award for being part of the best test pilot/engineer team.
• He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. He also received two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.
• NASA gave him the Superior Accomplishment Award several times (in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007).
• In 2021, SpaceX named two ships after Hurley and his Demo-2 crewmate, Bob Behnken. The ships are called Doug and Bob. These ships help with rocket recovery operations.
• On January 31, 2023, Hurley was given the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. This is a very high award for his work on the SpaceX Demonstration Mission-2 (Demo-2) to the International Space Station.

Personal Life

Doug Hurley is married to Karen Nyberg, who is also a NASA astronaut. They have one son. The family lives in League City, Texas.

See also

In Spanish: Douglas G. Hurley para niños