Megan McArthur is a mom, explorer and NASA astronaut. She has orbited the Earth 197 times and logged more than five million miles in space, so far.

Why you should listen

In the spring of 2021, Megan McArthur will pilot the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft on its second mission to the International Space Station. Previously, she served as flight engineer and robotic arm operator during the final upgrade and repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, which continues to unlock mysteries of the universe.

McArthur is inspired by the opportunities she has to represent humanity at the frontier of discovery and exploration in space. She earned her bachelor of science in aerospace engineering at UCLA and a PhD from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Prior to her recent flight assignment, she served as deputy chief of the Astronaut Office.

As a scuba diver, backpacker and pilot, McArthur's passion for exploration has no limits. Married to fellow astronaut Bob Behnken, they balance the complexities of human space exploration with the joys of raising their son, Theo.

Megan McArthur’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Megan McArthur

Live from TEDWomen

Onward! Notes from Session 3 of TEDWomen 2020

November 12, 2020

For the culminating session of TEDWomen 2020, we looked in one direction: onward! Hosted by TEDWomen curator Pat Mitchell and TEDx learning specialist Bianca DeJesus, the final session featured speakers and performers who shared wisdom on preparing for new challenges, turning fear into action and finding the way forward — even when the path isn’t […]

Continue reading
News

Join us for TEDWomen 2020: Fearless on November 12

October 23, 2020

TEDWomen 2020 is nearly here! The day-long conference will take place on November 12 via TED’s new virtual conference platform. TEDWomen attendees will experience TED’s signature talks as well as an array of live, interactive sessions, community “idea dates,” small-group speaker Q&As and more. The talks featured in the program have been developed in collaboration […]

Continue reading