K. Megan McArthur

K. Megan McArthur (born August 30, 1971) is an American oceanographer and a NASA astronaut. She has contributed significantly to space exploration and has participated in various space missions.

Early Life and Education

McArthur was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and grew up in California. She completed her high school education at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California. She then pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the UCLA in 1993. McArthur furthered her education by obtaining a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the UCSD's Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2002.

NASA Career

McArthur was selected by NASA in 2000 as a part of Astronaut Group 18. She has served in various roles at NASA, including Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) and as a representative for the Astronaut Office for the Space Shuttle and Space Station Branches.

In 2009, McArthur served as a mission specialist for STS-125, the final Space Shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. During this mission, she operated the shuttle's robotic arm to capture the telescope and place it on the servicing platform in the shuttle's payload bay.

In 2021, McArthur served as the pilot for the SpaceX Crew-2 mission, becoming the second woman to pilot a commercial spacecraft.

Personal Life

McArthur is married to fellow astronaut Robert L. Behnken and they have one son.

See Also

• List of female astronauts
• Women in space

References

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