Former NASA astronauts Robert Behnken, left, and Douglas Hurley, right, are seen after being awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by Vice President Kamala Harris during a ceremony in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Tuesday, January 31, 2023, in Washington. Former astronauts Behnken and Hurley were awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor for their bravery in NASA’s SpaceX Demonstration Mission-2 to the International Space Station in 2020, the first crewed flight as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
On behalf of President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris awarded former NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken the Congressional Space Medal of Honor Tuesday for their bravery in NASA’s SpaceX Demonstration Mission-2 (Demo-2) to the International Space Station in 2020. Hurley and Behnken are the first recipients of the honor since 2006 and accepted the awards during a televised event in Washington.
“Bob and Doug, together, have written the first page of a new chapter in the history of American spaceflight,” said Harris, who chairs the National Space Council. “Bob and Doug represent the best of our nation – there’s no question about it. The courage; the commitment; the brilliance; the vision; the ability to see and understand what is possible and then to go for it, represents the best of who we are as a nation.”
NASA’s first commercial crew astronauts (front to back) Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are pictured in January during tests inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle. Credit: SpaceX
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by Congress in 1969 to recognize an astronaut who in the performance of duties has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the nation and humanity. The honor now has been awarded to 30 people, including the crews of the Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia disasters who received the award posthumously.
Astronauts Douglas Hurley (left) and Robert Behnken before boarding the Gulfstream jet that will carry them to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA/James Blair
“The American story is about innovation, exploration, and pioneers who forge ahead. And Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken represent the American story,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “When Doug and Bob launched into history, a new era of human spaceflight took flight. The Demo-2 mission showcased American leadership and technological ingenuity and inspired countless minds to dare to dream to fly among the stars. Congratulations to Doug and Bob on this well-deserved honor!”
NASA astronauts Robert Behnken, left, and Douglas Hurley are seen inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship shortly after having landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, Sunday, August 2, 2020. The Demo-2 test flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program was the first to deliver astronauts to the International Space Station and return them safely to Earth onboard a commercially built and operated spacecraft. Behnken and Hurley returned after spending 64 days in space. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
On May 30, 2020, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft lifted off to the space station, marking the first mission to launch with astronauts as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Demo-2, a mission more than a decade in the making, was the first time American astronauts had launched from American soil on an American rocket since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.
