International Space Station Archives

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.

Missouri astronaut makes history aboard first SpaceX flight

May 30, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

For the first time since 2011, America launched humans into Earth’s orbit today. Cape Canaveral weather looked a bit iffy at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida but then began to clear up as liftoff time approached.

From left: Astronauts Doug Moore and Bob Behnken (Photo courtesy of NASA’s Twitter page)

At 3:22 p.m., a ten second countdown began. Then the 260-foot SpaceX Dragon ship carrying Missouri native Bob Behnken and fellow astronaut Doug Hurley rocketed into space.

The mission is the first time in U.S. history that a commercial astronaut crew has gone to space and signifies the return of NASA’s space launch program.

“It is absolutely our honor to be part of this huge effort to get the United States back in the launch business. We’ll talk to you from orbit,” Behnken said right before launch.

The flight took about nine minutes to get to space and is scheduled to parallel park at the International Space Station Sunday morning around 9:30 a.m. CST. Behnken and Hurley are expected to be there for about four months.

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

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