Robert L . Behnken Robert Louis " Bob " Behnken ( born July 28 , 1970 in Creve Coeur , Missouri ) is a United States Air Force officer and a NASA astronaut . Behnken holds a Ph . D in Mechanical Engineering and has reached the rank of Colonel in the U . S . Air Force . Bob Behnken has logged over 1 , 000 flight hours in 25 different aircraft . He flew on Space Shuttle mission STS - 123 as a Mission Specialist . Bob Behnken has accumulated over 378 hours in space , including 19 hours of spacewalk time . Bob Behnken was assigned as Mission Specialist 1 for the STS - 400 rescue mission . He also flew on the STS - 130 space shuttle mission . He is married to fellow astronaut K . Megan McArthur . Education . Behnken attended Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights , Missouri ( in St . Louis County ) , and went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering , as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Washington University in St . Louis in 1992 . In 1993 , he received a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering , and a doctorate degree in 1997 from California Institute of Technology . Career . Behnken ' s graduate thesis research was in the area of nonlinear control applied to stabilizing rotating stall and surge in axial - flow compressor s . The research included nonlinear analysis , real - time software implementation development , and extensive hardware construction . During his first two years of graduate study , 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 munition s systems . Behnken was next assigned to attend the U . S . 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 . Behnken has over 780 flight hours in more than 25 different aircraft types . NASA career . Selected as an astronaut candidate 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 Operations Branch supporting launch and landing operations at Kennedy Space Center , Florida . In September 2006 , Behnken served as an aquanaut during the mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory , living and working underwater for seven days . Behnken was a crew member of the STS - 123 mission that delivered the Japanese Experiment Module and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator to the International Space Station in March 2008 . Behnken took part in three spacewalks during the mission . Behnken also flew as a Mission Specialist on STS - 130 , which launched at 04 : 14 EST ( 09 : 14 UTC ) 8 February 2010 . This mission delivered the Tranquility module and Cupola to the International Space Station . Behnken again took part in three spacewalks during this mission . In July 2012 , Behnken was named Chief of the Astronaut Office , succeeding Peggy Whitson at the job . Personal life . Behnken is married to fellow astronaut K . Megan McArthur .