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Robert L. Behnken |
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Robert L. Behnken |
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PERSONAL DATA: Hometown: St. Ann, Missouri. Married. Recreational interests include mountain biking, skiing, and backpacking. He has a younger sister and two nephews. His father resides in St. Ann, Missouri. EDUCATION: Pattonville High School, Maryland Heights, Missouri, 1988. SPECIAL HONORS: Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Senior, Washington University (1992); National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (1993-1996); USAF Medals: Achievement (1997), Commendation (1998, 2000), Meritorious Service (2004), Defense Meritorious Service (2008). NASA Medals: Space Flight (2008, 2010); EXPERIENCE: Graduate Research in Nonlinear control. Dr. Behnken's thesis research was in the area of nonlinear control applied to stabilizing rotating stall and surge in axial flow compressors. The research included nonlinear analysis, real-time software implementation development, and extensive hardware construction. During his first two years of graduate study, Dr. Behnken developed control algorithms and hardware for flexible robotic manipulators. Prior to entering graduate school, Behnken was an Air Force ROTC student at Washington University in St. Louis, and after graduate school was assigned to Eglin AFB, Florida. While at Eglin, he worked as a technical manager and developmental engineer for munitions systems. Behnken was next assigned to attend the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California. After graduating, he was assigned to the F-22 Combined Test Force (CTF) at Edwards. In the F-22 test program where he served as the lead flight test engineer for the 4th F-22. Lieutenant Colonel Behnken has over 1000 flight hours in more than 25 different aircraft types. NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected as a mission specialist by NASA in July 2000, Behnken reported for training in August 2000. Following the completion of 18 months of training and evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Shuttle Branch supporting launch and landing activities at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Behnken flew STS-123 in March 2008 and STS-130 in February 2010, logging over 708 hours in space, including over 37 EVA hours during six space walks. During the fall of 2008, he trained as a mission specialist for STS-400, the rescue flight for the last Hubble Servicing Mission. SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-123 Endeavour (March 11-26, 2008) was a night launch/landing, and the twenty-fifth Space Station assembly mission. Endeavour’s crew delivered the first component of JAXA’s Kibo Laboratory, and the final element of the station’s Mobile Servicing System, the Canadian-built Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator known as Dextre. Behnken served as Mission Specialist 1 for ascent and entry, performed three spacewalks, served as the IV (internal spacewalk coordinator), and operated both the space station robotic arm and the Dextre robot. The mission was accomplished in 250 orbits of the Earth, traveling 6,577,857 statute miles in 15 days, 18 hours, 10 minutes and 54 seconds. STS-130 Endeavour (February 8-21, 2010) was a night launch/landing and the thirty-second Space Station assembly mission. Endeavour’s crew delivered and outfitted Node 3, also known as Tranquility, and the Cupola, a seven windowed portal on the Earth. Behnken served as Mission Specialist 4, operated the space station robotic arm, served as the spacewalking lead and performed three spacewalks. The mission was accomplished in 217 orbits of the Earth, traveling 5,738,991 statute miles in 13 days, 18 hours, 6 minutes and 24 seconds. |
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