NASA Demo-2 Astronauts Awarded Congressional Space Medal of Honor By Vice President Kamala Harris

The American-made spacecraft that will return American astronauts to the International Space Station from American soil for the first time since the retirement of the space shuttle nearly nine years ago. NASA's Commercial Crew Program began a new era of human spaceflight as American astronauts launched from American soil on an American rocket to the International Space Station. Vice President Kamala Harris awarded former NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

NASA

Behnken and Hurley flew on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, which lifted off on a Falcon 9 rocket on May 30, 2020, from Launch Complex 39A in Florida.

This mission was the final flight test for SpaceX, validating the company's crew transportation system, including the launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, and operational capabilities.

Robert Behnken said, "Having grown up watching the shuttle program and seeing shuttle launches and seeing the crowds on the Florida coast, it motivated me to go into this career." Douglas Hurley said, "We've been close friends since we started as astronauts almost 20 years ago, so being lucky enough to get to fly with your best friend, I think there's a lot of people that wish they could do that and we're lucky enough to do it."

Payload Space

Once in orbit, Behnken and Hurley were welcomed aboard the ISS, and became members of the Expedition 63 crew.

They performed tests on Crew Dragon in addition to conducting research and other tasks with the space station crew. On going back in space, Robert said that it was kind of a defining moment when the hatches back gets opened. Hurley said it was overwhelming. Bob said, "I didn't think I would do another spacewalk and to now have the chance to have done four more was just icing on the cake." Hurley continued, "It's hard to put into words what it was like to be a part of this expedition, Expedition 63. It'll be kind of a memory that will last a lifetime for me."

Upon conclusion of the mission, the Crew Dragon autonomously undocked, re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and splashed down just off Florida's Atlantic Coast.

NASA

Demo-2 was the final step before NASA's Commercial Crew Program certified Crew Dragon for operational, long-duration missions to the space station, enabling NASA to continue important research and technology investigations onboard the station.

In the ceremony, Vice President Kamala Harris said, "Bob and Doug together have written the first page of a new chapter in the history of American space flight. It is my great honor to award you both the Congressional Space Medal of Honor."

On receiving the award, Bob said, "I couldn't be more honored to have the opportunity to kind of represent the wider team that made this success happen."

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Doug said, "The country's space exploration program is in just an incredible position and I just really look forward to a renaissance kind of era where the exploration is just really taking off again."