Astronaut Profile
Douglas Hurley
Spacecraft Commander
Douglas Hurley piloted the final Space Shuttle flight and commanded SpaceX's Demo-2, linking the end of the Shuttle era to the beginning of commercial crewed spaceflight.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Spacecraft Commander • Living
Biography
The person behind the mission
Douglas G. Hurley is a former U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot who piloted STS-135 in 2011, the final flight of the Space Shuttle program. Nine years later, he commanded SpaceX's Demo-2 mission alongside Robert Behnken, the first crewed flight of a commercially developed American spacecraft, restoring domestic crewed launch capability. Hurley's role on both missions created a direct symbolic connection between the Shuttle program's end and the beginning of commercial human spaceflight.
Astronaut Details
Born
October 21, 1966
Birthplace
Endicott, New York, USA
Role
Spacecraft Commander
Program
International Space Station
Time in Space
78 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes
Missions
STS-127, STS-135, SpaceX Demo-2
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- Marine Corps Distinguished Flying Cross
- NASA Space Flight Medal