{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F31722e8a-806e-4469-9753-79d5fc162e5f","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"The Best Part of Being a NASA Astronaut with Megan McArthur Behnken","description":"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\u2014STS-125, the final Space Shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope aboard Atlantis\u2014and 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.\u00a0\u201cThe astronauts we\u2019re sending to the moon, whatever their background is\u2014whether they\u2019re test pilots or biologists\u2014they\u2019ll do lunar geology. What\u2019s great about this job is you\u2019re always learning new things and tackling new challenges.\u201d - Megan McArthur BehnkenThis week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:* Megan\u2019s 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\u2019s mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope and how it\u2019s different from her SpaceX flight* The \u201cpumpkin\u201d suit and Megan\u2019s thoughts on commercial, untrained civilian space flight* Promoting science literacy to the general population* Megan\u2019s forecast for the future of the space frontierOur Favorite Quotes:* \u201cAt NASA, we now select for collaboration and teamwork, because you can\u2019t hire a lone wolf out by themselves to do a space station mission. You know you\u2019re in it together \u2014 it\u2019s not a solo sport.\u201d - Megan McArthur Behnken* \u201cYou 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\u2019t love, you\u2019re not going to excel at it, and NASA is never going to choose you if you\u2019re not excelling at whatever it is you\u2019re doing.\u201d - Megan McArthur BehnkenConnect with Megan McArthur Behnken:* Megan McArthur Behnken on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmmcarthur/)* Megan McArthur Behnken on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Astro_Megan)* Megan McArthur Behnken on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/astro.megan/)Spaceship Not RequiredI\u2019m Kathy Sullivan,","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/1dfd0129-13dd-4580-97c9-75e77f559ffc/1472142-1680641322.jpg"}