Both are former military pilots who rose to the rank of colonel — Mr. Behnken in the United States Air Force, Mr. Hurley in the Marines — before deciding they wanted to go even higher. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley give the thumbs-up from inside Crew Dragon after splashdown. 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. 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. The men’s trip to the space station will be the first from the United States since the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011, and Mr. Behnken and Mr. Hurley, friends and colleagues for two decades, have traveled remarkably similar paths to this moment. “You get questions from your family. AP. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/science/bob-behnken-doug-hurley.html Trump pardons Bannon, other allies on final night in office, Biden plans 'dozens' of executive actions in first days, Monarch butterfly population moves closer to extinction. 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. “And yes,” he said, “the celebratory vomiting at the end of the mission will be excellent.”. Both joined NASA's astronaut program in 2000, they are both married to fellow NASA astronauts and they are fathers. 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. … Doug Hurley is a NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel. Mr. Behnken’s wife is Megan McArthur, an oceanographer who was part of the shuttle mission that made one last visit in 2009 to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. 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. Hurley, right, with Mr. Behnken and Elon Musk during a news conference at the Kennedy Space Center in 2019. the huge pool that NASA uses to rehearse spacewalks. The craft brought NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the space station after a launch on May 30, 2020—the first vessel to carry humans into space from U.S… 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. 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. Both joined NASA in 2000 — two of the 17 astronauts selected by the space agency that year. Behnken is married to fellow NASA astronaut K. Megan McArthur and has a … “One of the things that’s really helpful for us as a crew is the long relationship that Doug and I have had,” Mr. Behnken said this month during rounds of interviews with reporters. The road to the launchpad has been longer than had been expected and planned. Behnken is a U.S Air Force colonel and test pilot, while Hurley is … 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. Hurley and Behnken are married to fellow members of their 2000 astronaut class at NASA: newly retired Karen Nyberg and Megan McArthur. With pleasure. "On a deeply personal level, I’m really excited that my son is going to get a chance to see me launch into space," he said. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Tulane University. Eva Claire Hambach/NASA TV/AFP via Getty Images. Photographers prepared remote cameras for the Crew Dragon launch on Tuesday. [When to watch SpaceX’s next NASA launch of astronauts. But then the spacecraft’s parachutes — essential for the safe return of the astronauts — failed in some tests. Meet Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the two engineers who became Space X astronauts On the 30 th of May 2020, after four years of preparation, astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley lifted off at 3:22 p.m. EDT in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Douglas Gerald Hurley (born October 21, 1966) is an American engineer, former Marine Corps pilot and current NASA astronaut. Hurley was the pilot for STS-127 and STS-135 and he will also be piloting the Dragon Crew spacecraft. "It's inspiring to me and I'm just excited to be a part of it. The St. Ann, Missouri, native has logged more than 708 hours in space and flew on two space shuttle flights in March 2008 and February 2010. 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. Mr. Hurley offered a more serious answer, talking about how he enjoyed working together with a close friend. Mr. Behnken and Ms. McArthur’s son, Theodore, is 6. The launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but rescheduled due to inclement weather. On Wednesday (May 27) at 4:33 p.m. EDT (2033 GMT), astronauts Robert "Bob" Behnken and Douglas "Doug" Hurley will strap into a Crew Dragon vehicle … “Certainly, it’s disappointing,” Mr. Hurley said. Please come aboard." Hurley is a native of Apalachin, New York. The Crew Dragon launched successfully on Saturday. He has also logged more than 37 hours of spacewalking on six different occasions, according to NASA. 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.”. The SpaceX Demo-2 successfully launched with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, and is making its way to the International Space Station. They have each flown to space twice on space shuttle missions, although never on the same mission. Spacecraft Commander Doug Hurley and Joint Operations Commander Bob Behnken have “Captured the Flag” as the first crew to reach the ISS … NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, who flew a 63-day mission with SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehicle, are the first people the company ever launched to orbit and returned to Earth. 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. He then completed master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering at the California Institute of Technology. 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). Stay could stretch to four months mr. 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