Happy birthday, astronaut Bob Behnken!

Robert Louis Behnken, born July 28, 1970 in St. Ann, Missouri, has been to space three times.  He earned a BS in mechanical engineering and phusics from Washington University in St. Louis.  Then he earned an MS and PhD in mechanical engineering from California Institute of Technology.

He entered the Air Force and after graduating he flew the F-15 and F-16.

His first trip into space aboard Endeavour (STS-123) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in March 2008. He spent almost 16 days in space.

Behnken's second trip was also aboard Endeavour (STS-130) as mission specialist to the ISS in February 2010. He spent almost 14 days in space.

His third and final trip was aboard Crew Dragon Endeavour Demo-2 as Joint operations commander to the ISS in May 2020. He remained on the space station as part of Expedition 63 before returning to Earth in August 2020. He spent 63 days in space. 

Who is Bob Behnken? 

Happy birthday, astronaut Jessica Watkins!

Jessica Watkins, born May 14, 1988 in Gaithersburg, Maryland, went into space aboard the SpaceX Crew-4 Crew Dragon spacecraft Freedom as mission specialist.  She launched in April 2022 to the International Space Station and participated in Expeditions 67 and 68.  She spent over 170 days in space before returning to Earth.

Happy birthday, Eytan Stibbe, 2nd Israeli in space

Eytan Stibbe, born January 12, 1958 in Haifa, Israel, is a space tourist and went into space as part of Axiom Space-1 mission aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon in April 2022. He purchased his ticket into space and demonstrated Israeli technologies during his mission.  He spent over 17 days in space before returning to Earth.

The first Israeli in space was Ilan Ramon who died when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry in 2003.

SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour launched 2020

Endeavour crew (L-R): Douglas Hurley, Robert Behnken

SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 (Endeavour), launched May 30, 2020, was the first crewed orbital spaceflight launched from the US since the end of the Space Shuttle project in 2011.  Its crew consisted of Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken, both veterans of the space shuttle program.  Nineteen hours after launch, Endeavour docked with the International Space Station. 

Behnken and Hurley worked with Expedition 63, and Behnken conducted four EVAs with fellow astronaut Chris Cassidy.  After sixty-two days, Endeavour undocked from the ISS and splashed down thirteen hours later.  It was the first water landing by astronauts since 1975. 

Happy birthday, Inspiration4 astronaut Hayley Arceneaux!

Hayley Arceneaux, born December 4, 1991 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, went into space aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience, as part of the Inspiration4 crew. Resilience was launched in September 2021 and she spent almost 3 days in space.  She is the youngest person to orbit the Earth.

She survived a bout with cancer when she was 10 years old, and the experience sparked her interest in working with cancer patients. She works as a Physician's assistant, working with patients suffering from leukemia and lymphoma.  She is the first astronaut to launch with a prosthesis.  

Happy birthday, astronaut Christopher Sembroski!

Christopher Sembroski, born August 28, 1979, went into space as part of Inspiration4 aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience in September 2021 as a payload specialist.  He spent three days in a low Earth orbit before the crew and capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Happy birthday, astronaut Robert Hines!

Robert Hines, born January 11, 1975 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is a NASA astronaut and went into space aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft named Freedom.  He piloted Freedom and docked with the International Space Station in April 2022 and remained there with the rest of the crew until they returned to Earth in October, after spending over 170 days in space.  

SpaceX Inspiration4, first all commercial crew, launched 2021

Inspiration4 crew (L-R): Sian Proctor, Jared Isaacman, Christopher Sembroski, Hayley Arceneaux

SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission patch

SpaceX's launched its Crew Dragon Resilience with the first all-commercial crew, September 16, 2021, on the Inspiration4 mission.  SpaceX operated the flight on behalf of the CEO of Shift4 Payments Jared Isaacman, to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.  Isaacman bought the flight with its four seats from SpaceX.  Two of the seats were given to St. Jude.  The hospital selected Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude and a bone cancer survivor to go on the flight.    

St. Jude held a raffle for the third flight.  Entrants had to be a U.S. citizen and donate between $10 - $10,000.  Kyle Hippchen won the raffle but gave the seat to friend, Christopher Sembroski, a US Air Force veteran.

The fourth seat was awarded by a competition that rewarded the best business idea to make use of Shift4's commerce solutions.  Entrepreneur Sian Proctor was selected as pilot.

The mission raised more than $243M, far more than the targeted $100M.  It lasted almost 3 days, and the crew successfully splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, September 18. 

Happy birthday, astronaut Douglas Hurley!

Douglas Hurley, born October 21, 1966 in Endicott, New York, has been in space three times.  

His first flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-127) as pilot to the International Space Station in July 2009.  When they docked at the ISS, they set a record for the most humans in space at the same time, at thirteen.

His second flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-135) as pilot to the ISS in July 2011.  It was the final flight of the Space Shuttle program.

His latest flight was aboard SpaceX's Endeavour, the first crewed test flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, to the ISS in May 2020.  He and fellow astronaut Bob Behnken participated in Expedition 63.  They returned to Earth on August 2, 2020.

SpaceX Crew Dragon returned to Earth today!

Crew Dragon (L-R): Robert Behnken, Doug Hurley

SpaceX's Crew Dragon, consisting of Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico today about 2:48PM EDT!  The last time NASA had a mission splashdown was in 1975 when Tom Stafford, Vance Brand and Deke Slayton returned from the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

Bob and Doug spent 62 days aboard the International Space Station participating in Expedition 63.  Behnken conducted four EVAs with fellow astronaut Chris Cassidy during the mission.

Happy birthday, astronaut Shannon Walker!

Shannon Walker, born June 4, 1965 in Houston, Texas, went into space aboard Soyuz TMA-19 to the International Space Station in June 2010.  She participated in Expeditions 24 and 25 before returning to Earth in November after more than 163 days in space.

She is scheduled to return to the ISS in August of this year aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft USCV-1.

SpaceX's abort test is successful!

SpaceX and NASA tested SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft today on its capability to separate from the rocket (Falcon 9) in the event of an emergency.  Everything functioned correctly from the separation, engine shutdown and deploying the parachutes. 

It was the final test before it can start carrying astronauts to the ISS.