SpaceX crewmates Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken awarded Space Medal of Honor

January 31, 2023

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The primary NASA astronauts to launch on board a business spacecraft have been offered with the USA’ highest honor reserved for spaceflight veterans.

Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, who flew on the primary crewed demonstration flight of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft in 2020, acquired the Congressional Area Medal of Honor from Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday (Jan. 31). Approved by Congress in 1969, the medal is offered to astronauts who’re really helpful by the NASA administrator.

“On behalf of President Joe Biden, on behalf of the USA Congress and on behalf of the individuals of the USA of America … individuals you could by no means meet however who will without end be impacted due to your work without end, it’s my nice honor to award you each the Congressional Area Medal of Honor,” mentioned Vice President Harris.

Associated: SpaceX’s historic Demo-2 astronaut flight in photos

Astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley on board SpaceX’s Crew Dragon previous to the Demo-2 mission launch in 2020. (Picture credit score: SpaceX)

On Could 30, 2020, Hurley and Behnken lifted off on the Crew Dragon “Endeavour” atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Area Middle in Florida. The Demo-2 (DM-2) crew’s 64-day mission to the Worldwide Area Station was the primary flight below NASA’s Industrial Crew Program and SpaceX’s first crewed launch.

The mission was additionally the primary human flight to depart Earth from U.S. soil because the finish of the space shuttle program in 2011, and Endeavour was the primary U.S. crewed spacecraft to splash down from space within the 45 years because the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Check Venture.

“Bob and Doug collectively have written the primary web page of a brand new chapter within the historical past of American spaceflight,” mentioned Harris. “By means of their ingenuity and bravado, they helped rebuild America’s bridge to low Earth orbit and to the International Space Station, the place we conduct a few of our most vital and superior scientific analysis.”

Hurley and Behnken at the moment are the twenty ninth and thirtieth astronauts — out of the greater than 360 Individuals who’ve flown into space — to be awarded the Area Medal of Honor and the primary to obtain the excellence in 17 years. Introduced to astronauts who within the efficiency of their duties distinguished themselves by “exceptionalIy meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the nation and of mankind,” the medal was first bestowed in 1978 to 6 Mercury, Gemini and Apollo veterans.

Amongst these inaugural honorees have been Alan Shepard, the primary American to fly into space; John Glenn, the primary American to orbit Earth; Virgil “Gus” Grissom, commander of the ill-fated Apollo 1 crew; Frank Borman, commander on Apollo 8, the primary mission to orbit the moon; Neil Armstrong, the primary particular person to stroll on the moon; and Charles “Pete” Conrad, commander of the primary crew to reside on Skylab, the primary U.S. space station.

Later recipients included Jim Lovell, commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission; Thomas Stafford, the U.S. commander of the joint Apollo-Soyuz Check Venture; John Younger and Bob Crippen, the crew of first space shuttle mission; Shannon Lucid, who on the time (1996) held the report for the longest spaceflight by a lady; William Shepherd, the primary commander of the Worldwide Area Station; and the fallen Apollo 1, STS-51L (space shuttle Challenger) and STS-107 (Columbia) crew members, who died in 1967, 1986 and 2003, respectively.

Example of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor as authorized by Congress in 1969 and first presented in 1978.

Instance of the Congressional Area Medal of Honor as approved by Congress in 1969 and first offered in 1978. (Picture credit score: Smithsonian)

Chosen to change into astronauts in 2000, each Hurley and Behnken flew on two space shuttle missions earlier than launching on DM-2. Hurley flew as pilot on the ultimate shuttle mission and Behnken served as chief of the astronaut workplace from 2012 to 2015. Hurley left NASA in July 2021, adopted by Behnken 16 months later.

“The braveness, the dedication, the brilliance, the imaginative and prescient, the flexibility to see and perceive what is feasible after which to go for it represents the very best of who we’re as a nation, and in that means you two encourage all of us,” mentioned Harris. “You function an actual instance of the ability of the ambition and the aspirations of our nation.”

Hurley and Behnken have been joined on the White Home by their households, together with wives Karen Nyberg and Megan McArthur.

“As lots of you most likely know, for each Bob and Doug, space is a little bit of a household enterprise,” mentioned Harris. “Doug’s spouse, Karen, has made a number of journeys to the Worldwide Area Station, and Bob’s spouse, Megan, helped restore the Hubble Space Telescope.”

“So it seems it takes an entire household to do the type of work that you just all have finished to permit us to discover the universe,” the vice chairman mentioned.

The Congressional Area Medal of Honor is the third-highest award an astronaut can obtain, below the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom. It’s separate from the army Medal of Honor, which is bestowed for excessive bravery and gallantry in fight.

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