Megan McArthur, the first woman to pilot a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, has officially retired after over 20 years of distinguished service at NASA. A two-time space traveler, she logged 213 days in orbit and played a critical role in both space exploration and scientific advancement.
Her final mission was as pilot on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 flight in April 2021, marking her first long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station. During her 200-day mission, McArthur served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 65/66, conducting vital research in human health, materials science, and robotics, all to support future Moon and Mars missions.
McArthur’s spaceflight career began in 2009 on STS-125, the fifth and final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. As mission specialist, she used the shuttle’s robotic arm to assist in major upgrades during five spacewalks, becoming the last human to physically “touch” Hubble.
Beyond her flight roles, McArthur held multiple leadership positions at NASA, including deputy chief of the Astronaut Office, assistant director of flight operations for the ISS, and chief science officer at Space Center Houston.
Born in Honolulu and raised in a Navy family, McArthur earned her B.S. in aerospace engineering from UCLA and a PhD in oceanography from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution. She’s married to fellow former astronaut Robert Behnken, who flew the first crewed SpaceX Dragon mission in 2020. Together, they have one son.
From repairing Hubble to guiding ISS research, McArthur’s career has left a lasting legacy in human spaceflight and science.
