Megan McArthur Behnken is an American oceanographer, engineer, NASA astronaut, and the last person to be hands-on with the Hubble Space Telescope via the Canadarm. Throughout her career, Megan has served as a Capsule Communicator for both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station; she has flown one Space Shuttle mission—STS-125, the final Space Shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope aboard Atlantis—and one SpaceX mission, the SpaceX Crew-2 aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour. She has also served as the Deputy Division Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office and the Assistant Director of Flight Operations for the International Space Station. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, and received her Ph.D. in Oceanography from UC San Diego.
Megan joins me today to share her vision of the future of human spaceflight and exploration. She describes her life growing up, what sparked her interest in aviation and flight, and how the Space Shuttle Challenger accident solidified her passion for space flight at a young age. She discusses her time studying Aerospace Engineering at UCLA. She explains how knowing that someone believed in her gave her the confidence to cope with her transition from high school to university life. She describes the best part about being an astronaut and why the astronaut office values collaboration over competition. Megan also shares her thoughts on commercial space flight and underscores what young people can expect from the Artemis program.
“The astronauts we’re sending to the moon, whatever their background is—whether they’re test pilots or biologists—they’ll do lunar geology. What’s great about this job is you’re always learning new things and tackling new challenges.” - Megan McArthur Behnken
This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:
- Megan’s background, family, and life growing up
- Her time pursuing an undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering at UCLA
- My experience changing my college major from languages to STEM
- How joining a human-powered submarine race made Megan fall in love with the ocean
- The importance of doing what you love and doing your best with it
- Why having a combination of skills is valuable in becoming a NASA astronaut
- A day in the life of a NASA astronaut
- The culture of the NASA astronaut office and how it has evolved over the years
- Megan’s mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope and how it’s different from her SpaceX flight
- The “pumpkin” suit and Megan’s thoughts on commercial, untrained civilian space flight
- Promoting science literacy to the general population
- Megan’s forecast for the future of the space frontier
Our Favorite Quotes:
- “At NASA, we now select for collaboration and teamwork, because you can’t hire a lone wolf out by themselves to do a space station mission. You know you’re in it together — it’s not a solo sport.” - Megan McArthur Behnken
- “You have to choose the thing you love doing and do that thing as well as you can do it. If you choose something you don’t love, you’re not going to excel at it, and NASA is never going to choose you if you’re not excelling at whatever it is you’re doing.” - Megan McArthur Behnken
Connect with Megan McArthur Behnken:
Spaceship Not Required
I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.
I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.
In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are--spaceship not required.
Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.
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