Megan McArthur, a NASA astronaut who made history by being the first woman to pilot a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, has finally announced her retirement after serving for more than 20 years at the space agency. Called as a true pioneer, McArthur flew on two major space missions and spent a total of 213 days in space during her career.
She is also remembered as the last astronaut to operate the robotic arm of the Space Shuttle and work on the Hubble Space Telescope.
Megan McArthur’s historic space missions
McArthur’s most notable mission came in April 2021, when she was announced to be the pilot of the SpaceX Crew-2 mission. This was her second spaceflight and her first long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
During the 200-day mission, she worked as a flight engineer for Expeditions 65 and 66. NASA noted that she conducted scientific experiments in human health, material sciences, and robotics. These experiments are key to the future of the Artemis program to the Moon and NASA’s long-term goal of sending astronauts to Mars.
Her first spaceflight was in 2009 on the space shuttle Atlantis during the STS-125 mission, which was the final servicing mission to the Hubble Telescope. She played a leading role in helping astronauts repair and upgrade Hubble, ensuring its extended life in space.
Leadership roles at NASA
Apart from flying in space, McArthur held several leadership roles. Since 2019, she has worked as the deputy division chief of the Astronaut Office and later as assistant director of flight operations for the ISS Program. In 2022, she became the chief science officer at Space Centre Houston, NASA’s official visitor centre.
Her background and personal life
- Born in Honolulu, McArthur grew up as a “Navy kid.”
- She earned a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a PhD in oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.
- She is married to Robert Behnken, another well-known NASA astronaut who retired in 2022 after flying aboard the first crewed SpaceX Dragon mission in 2020. The couple has a son.