The BRICS TimesMegan McArthur’s space career began with the shuttle Atlantis in 2009 during the final Hubble servicing mission.
NASA astronaut Megan McArthur has announced her retirement, concluding a distinguished career of more than two decades that left a lasting impact on space exploration. Over the course of her service, she spent 213 days in orbit and made history as the first woman to pilot a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
McArthur also holds the distinction of being the last person to physically interact with the Hubble Space Telescope, maneuvering the shuttle’s robotic arm to handle the observatory during its final servicing mission.
Her maiden spaceflight took place in 2009 aboard space shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-125, the fifth and last mission dedicated to Hubble. As a mission specialist, she operated the robotic arm to capture the telescope and supported five challenging spacewalks that repaired and upgraded the observatory, ensuring its continued success. She also played a vital role in Atlantis’s launch, rendezvous, and landing operations.
Born in Honolulu and raised around the world as part of a Navy family, McArthur holds degrees in aerospace engineering and oceanography. Before joining NASA in 2000, she carried out significant oceanographic research, specializing in underwater acoustics through shipboard expeditions and scuba diving.
Since 2022, she has served as chief science officer at Space Center Houston, the official visitor center of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where she worked to inspire the public, promote science education, and highlight the benefits of space research.
McArthur is married to fellow astronaut Robert Behnken, who famously piloted the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission in 2020, ushering in a new era of commercial crewed spaceflight.
As she steps into retirement, McArthur leaves behind a powerful legacy that will inspire future explorers and mark key milestones in the history of human spaceflight.
