National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058
Biographical Data

Robert L. Behnken (Ph.D., LIEUTENANT COLONEL, USAF)
NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA:  Born in Creve Coeur, Missouri, he considers St. Ann, Missouri his hometown.  Married.  Recreational interests include mountain biking, skiing, and backpacking.  He has a younger sister and two nephews who reside in Hazelwood, Missouri.  His father resides in St. Ann, Missouri.

EDUCATION:  Pattonville High School, Maryland Heights, Missouri, 1988. 
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Washington University, 1992. 
B.S. Physics, Washington University, 1992. 
M.S. Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1993. 
Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1997.

SPECIAL HONORS:  Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Senior, Washington University (1992); National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (1993-1996); Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB Florida Company Grade Officer of the Year (1997); USAF Achievement Medal (1997); USAF Commendation Medal (1998); Distinguished graduate from the USAF Test Pilot School Program (1999);  Recipient of the USAF Test Pilot School Colonel Ray Jones Award as the top Flight Test Engineer/Flight Test Navigator in class 98B; USAF Commendation Medal (2000); USAF Meritorious Service Medal (2004); NASA Space Flight Medal (2008).

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 and implemented real-time 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 enter Air Force active duty at Eglin AFB, Florida.  While at Eglin, he worked as a technical manager and developmental engineer for new munitions systems.  Behnken was next assigned to attend the Air Force Test Pilot School Flight Test Engineer's course at Edwards AFB, California.  After graduating, he was assigned to the F-22 Combined Test Force (CTF) and remained at Edwards.  While assigned to the F-22 program, Behnken was the lead flight test engineer for Raptor 4004 and a special projects test director.  These responsibilities included flight test sortie planning, control room configuration development, and test conduct.  Behnken also flew in both the F-15 and F-16 aircraft in support of the F-22 flight test program.

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.  In March 2008 Behnken flew on STS-123 logging over 378 hours in space, including over 19 EVA hours in three space walks.  He is assigned to the crew of STS-130, targeted for launch in December 2009.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:  STS-123 Endeavour (March 11-26, 2008) was a night launch and landing.  It was 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 Dextrous Manipulator known as Dextre.  During the mission, 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.