The National Park Service is flying high, thanks to astronaut Bob Behnken. Behnken, currently orbiting the Earth aboard the space shuttle Endeavour, is carrying several National Park Service items in his personal allotment.
Before blasting off on February 8 from the Kennedy Space Center, STS-130 Endeavour was loaded with building materials and supplies for the International Space Station as well as mementos from Yellowstone, Big Bend, Arches, and Zion national parks.
Behnken is married to astronaut Megan McArthur. Last year, McArthur carried a National Park Service banner on her STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
“National parks have always been special places for me and my wife, so we both wanted to pay tribute to them on our flights,” said Behnken. “The amount of personal recharging that we've enjoyed during our national park vacations is priceless!”
“We are so honored that Bob and Megan, modern heroes exploring the final frontier, chose to take objects representing the majesty of American frontiers with them into space,” said National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis.
The payload for STS-130 includes a Zion 100th anniversary medallion and patches from Yellowstone, Arches, and Big Bend. The items will be returned to the parks after orbiting the earth for 13 days. Behnken will also try to photograph park features such as the Old Faithful geyser area and Zion Canyon from space.
Behnken is a mission specialist and the lead spacewalker on this voyage. He is scheduled to spend more than 19 hours outside installing the last major U.S. components for the International Space Station. Node 3, known as Tranquility, is a new section containing life support systems that will sustain a continued human presence. He will also help attach a cupola with seven windows that will provide panoramic views of earth, celestial objects, and visiting spacecraft.
“Megan and I really enjoy visiting national parks and hope to have many future adventures,” said Behnken. “The parks do a great job of balancing the natural beauty of America while still providing access to people.”
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