— The primary NASA astronauts to launch on board a business spacecraft have been introduced with america’ 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, obtained the Congressional House Medal of Honor from Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday (Jan. 31). Approved by Congress in 1969, the medal is introduced to astronauts who’re really useful by the NASA Administrator.
“On behalf of President Joe Biden, on behalf of america Congress and on behalf of the individuals of america of America … individuals chances are you’ll by no means meet however who will eternally be impacted due to your work eternally, it’s my nice honor to award you each the Congressional House Medal of Honor,” mentioned Vice President Harris.
On Could 30, 2020, Hurley and Behnken lifted off on the Crew Dragon “Endeavour” atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy House Heart in Florida. The Demo-2 (DM-2) crew’s 64-day mission to the Worldwide House 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 go away Earth from U.S. soil because the finish of the area shuttle program in 2011 and Endeavour was the primary U.S. crewed spacecraft to splashdown from area within the 45 years because the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Check Mission.
“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 their ingenuity and bravado, they helped rebuild America’s bridge to low Earth orbit and to the Worldwide House Station, the place we conduct a few of our most important and superior scientific analysis.”
Hurley and Behnken are actually the twenty ninth and thirtieth astronauts — out of the greater than 360 Individuals who’ve flown into area — to be awarded the House Medal of Honor and the primary to obtain the excellence in 17 years. Offered 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 had been Alan Shepard, the primary American to fly into area; 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 dwell on Skylab, the primary U.S. area 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 Mission; John Younger and Bob Crippen, the crew of first area shuttle mission; Shannon Lucid, who on the time (1996) held the file for the longest spaceflight by a lady; William Shepherd, the primary commander of the Worldwide House Station; and the fallen Apollo 1, STS-51L (area shuttle Challenger) and STS-107 (Columbia) crew members, who died in 1967, 1986 and 2003, respectively.
Chosen to turn out to be astronauts in 2000, each Hurley and Behnken flew on two area 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 one of the best of who we’re as a nation, and in that approach you two encourage all of us,” mentioned Harris. “You function an actual instance of the facility of the ambition and the aspirations of our nation.”
Hurley and Behnken had been joined on the White Home by their households, together with wives Karen Nyberg and Megan McArthur.
“As a lot of you in all probability know, for each Bob and Doug, area is a little bit of a household enterprise,” mentioned Harris. “Doug’s spouse, Karen, has made a number of journeys to the Worldwide House Station, and Bob’s spouse, Megan, helped restore the Hubble House Telescope.”
“So it seems it takes an entire household to do the type of work that you simply all have carried out to permit us to discover the universe,” the Vice President mentioned.
The Congressional House 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.
