News of the Weird
Shuttle Endeavor Blasts Off With Home Town Astronaut Onboard
By Bob Hudson
Feb 8, 2010 - 2:23:52 PM

The space shuttle Endeavour and six astronauts rocketed into orbit Monday on what's expected to be the last nighttime launch for the shuttle program, hauling up a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station. The space shuttle blasted off at just before dawn, igniting the sky with a brilliant flash seen for miles around, and one of the six members of the crew grew up in the St Louis area. Lt. Col Robert Behnken is a graduate of Pattonville High School and Washington University, and NASA says the Colonel has a sister who lives in Hazlewood, and his father still lives in St. Ann.

Endeavor is expected to reach the International Space Station early Wednesday morning somewhere over Spain. While there, Lt Colonel Behnken is scheduled to perform three EVAs, NASA-speak for extra vehicular activities. Behnken is one of two astronauts expected to conduct spacewalks during the two-week mission, in order to install a module that is critical for robotics control. Behnken was selected for NASA’s astronaut training program in 2000 after serving stints at both Eglin and Edwards Air Force Bases where he logged over 1000 hours of flight time in 25 different aircraft. This is not his first trip into earth orbit. He was part of the 2008 Endeavor crew. Find out more about NASA at   www.NASA.GOV.