Doug Hurley Archives - Missourinet

Missouri astronaut to watch wife launch in same space capsule he made historic flight in

April 22, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri astronaut Bob Behnken launched into space last year on a historic mission. Friday morning, the tables will turn. He will watch his wife liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center in the same space capsule he traveled in last year.

Megan McArthur and crew members

Behnken and astronaut Doug Hurley were part of the first space launch in history to involve a commercial aerospace company carrying humans into Earth’s orbit and the first space launch from American soil in nearly a decade.

Behnken, of St. Louis County, says his wife, Megan McArthur, is piloting the same spacecraft.

“It’s pretty exciting to have her sit in the same place in the capsule itself – in the pilot seat on the Dragon capsule,” Behnken tells Missourinet.

McArthur will travel 250 miles to the International Space Station where she and three other astronauts will live for about six months. In the meantime, Behnken will be in charge of the homefront.

From left: Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley

“One of the things that is really interesting for me is kind of how similar the preparation is as a crew member launching or as a crew member who stays on the ground,” says Behnken. “I do need to think a lot about what Megan is going to go through when she is on orbit and also make sure that we have got everything on the ground taken care of to support her and to take care of the family.”

Behnken urges Missourians to travel to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a future space launch.

“If you haven’t had a chance to get to see humans launch into space on a rocket, travel on down from Missouri to see one off the coast of Florida,” says Behnken. “It’s just a wonderful sight and there’s just something different and unique. Even if you have seen a rocket launch, if you haven’t seen one with humans on board, it’s a different experience. I was proud to be a part of it and I hope that they can share in some of that excitement.”

Friday’s launch is scheduled to liftoff at 4:49 a.m. from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Next week, Mike Hopkins, of southern Missouri’s Richland, is scheduled to return from space with a crew of astronauts.

Missouri native rockets to space on historic mission

November 15, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Four astronauts on the space shuttle dubbed “Resilience” are headed to the International Space Station, including southern Missouri native Mike Hopkins. Hopkins, of Richland, is commanding the crew on the first operational space flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts aboard.

According to NASA, the crew is making history on many other fronts. Shannon Walker becomes the first woman to be on a commercial orbital space flight.

Victor Glover is first African American astronaut to fly on a commercial spacecraft and the first Black crew member to live aboard the International Space Station for an extended period of time. The four-person crew has been assigned to spend about the next six months there.

Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will be the first international partner crew member on the Crew Dragon spacecraft. He will also be the first international astronaut to travel aboard three orbital space shuttles.

Hopkins is the first flight test engineer to command a U.S. commercial rocket.

Hopkins has been training for this mission for more than two years. Before liftoff, he had a heartfelt departing message.

“To all the people at NASA and SpaceX, by working together through these difficult times, you’ve inspired the nation, the world, and the name of this incredible vehicle, Resilience. And now it’s time for us to do our part – Crew-1 for all,” said Hopkins.

Among the virtual audience wishing Hopkins and company safe travels today included aerospace engineers from his alma mater – the University of Illinois.

“I-L-L,” they hollered.

Rob Blevins with the Springfield Discovery Center, an interactive science museum in southwest Missouri, thanked the crew for inspiring the next generation of scientists and astronauts.

“Go make history like you are going to do today. Go NASA. Go SpaceX. Go make history,” he exclaimed.

Missouri has played a key role since America restarted its space shuttle program this year. Hopkins and St. Louis County native Bob Behnken have both led historic journeys to space in 2020.

Behnken and fellow spaceman Doug Hurley launched to space on the first manned commercial crew in U.S. history and first space launch from American soil in nearly a decade. Behnken and Hurley joined today’s broadcast of the launch. Behnken said the best part of the mission was splash down and climbing out of the space vehicle to successfully complete their mission.

Crew Resilience is traveling in the same shuttle as Behnken blasted off to space in. The plan is for Hopkins and crew to return home the same way as Behnken and Hurley by plunging into American waters.

Resilience is expected to dock at the International Space Station around 10 p.m. CST on Monday.

Missouri astronaut makes history – again

August 2, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have made history again. They launched into orbit two months ago as part of the first manned commercial crew in U.S. history and first space launch from American soil in nearly a decade. Today, Behnken and Hurley’s return home was completed after plunging into the water off the coast of Florida – marking the first water landing since the last Apollo mission in 1975.

NASA TV broadcast of splashdown off the coast of Florida

Behnken, a St. Louis County native and Washington University graduate, is also a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force. His mission was to try out the commercial aircraft on its journey to and from the International Space Station.

Despite a tropical storm in the region, Behnken and Hurley had a smooth splashdown near Pensacola Naval Air Station. Several parachutes helped in the landing of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

Mission control dispatched a welcome home to the astronauts.

The hatch is opened and NASA astronaut Bob Behnken emerges from the capsule

“Thank you for flying SpaceX.”

Two boats gathered near the splashdown location to get the capsule out of the water. Crews then opened the hatch to let Behnken and Hurley breath fresh air for the first time in 64 days.

“I just wanted to thank you guys for bringing us home safe before we disembark from the ship Endeavor,” Behnken tells the NASA and SpaceX crews. “Thank you for doing the most difficult parts and the most important parts of human space flight – getting us into orbit and bringing us home safely.”

Another Crew Dragon spacecraft is preparing to launch another mission, called Crew-1, carrying NASA astronauts Victor Glover, southern Missouri native Michael Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi of Japan.

Next spring, Megan McArthur, Behnken’s wife and fellow astronaut, along with NASA’s Shane Kimbrough, Akihiko Hoshide of Japan and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency will make a trip to the International Space Station.

Earlier stories:

Missouri astronaut makes history aboard first SpaceX flight: https://wp.me/p16gMv-wAE

Bad weather postpones Missouri astronaut’s trip to space: https://wp.me/p16gMv-wA3

Missouri astronaut prepares for historic SpaceX launch: https://wp.me/p16gMv-wvZ

Missouri astronaut prepares to make his way back to Earth

July 31, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Weather permitting, NASA astronaut Bob Behnken and fellow spaceman Doug Hurley are scheduled to undock Saturday evening at the International Space Station and begin their historic journey back home. Their mission marks the first time in U.S. history that a commercial astronaut crew has gone to space and the first human space flight from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.

From left: Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken

Behnken, a native of St. Louis County and Washington University grad, rocketed into space two months ago on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft they named “Endeavour”.

The National Hurricane Center says Florida remains in the path of Hurricane Isaias and the storm is expected to move past Cape Canaveral. Behnken and Hurley are scheduled to splash down in their capsule off the coast of Florida around 2:48 p.m. Sunday. It will be the first water landing of astronauts since the last Apollo mission in 1975.

“NASA teams will continue to closely a monitor Tropical Storm Isaias and evaluate impacts to weather around the Florida peninsula, including the potential splashdown sites in the Gulf of Mexico and along the state’s Atlantic coast,” NASA says. “NASA and SpaceX will make a decision on a primary splashdown target approximately 6 hours before undocking Saturday.”

If the mission is a go, two boats will arrive immediately after splashdown to get the capsule and open the hatch for Behnken and Hurley.

Behnken has been on two other space missions. He is also a flight test pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

Southern Missouri native and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins of Richland will be part of a mission later this year to the International Space Station after Behnken returns.

Behnken’s wife, Megan, will also be heading to the International Space Station next spring. NASA has chosen her to pilot the same spaceship as the one her husband is returning in.