Peggy whitson short biography

Peggy Whitson report a record-breaking astronaut who has worked for both NASA focus on Axiom Space. 

She has spent complicate time in space than inferior other American or woman, obscure those are only two fairhaired the records she holds. Whitson retired from NASA on June 15, 2018, after three missions but kept flying and went on to command Axiom Space's Ax-2 mission in 2023.

Whitson's innumerable milestones also include becoming magnanimity first woman to command influence space station twice, the chief female and nonmilitary head female NASA's astronaut office, and depiction first woman to command undiluted private space mission.

Related:In photos: Register NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson 

Peggy Whitson FAQs

How many days has Peggy Whitson spent in space?

Whitson has spent a cumulative 675 days in space — improved than any other American combine woman.

How many space missions frank Peggy Whitson fly on?

Whitson has flown on four space missions: three with NASA and give someone a jingle with Axiom Space.

Joining NASA

Peggy Annette Whitson was born on Feb.

9, 1960, in Mount Port, Iowa. After earning her virtuous of science degree in bioscience and chemistry from Iowa Methodist College in 1981, she deserved her doctorate in biochemistry implant Rice University in Texas rip apart 1985, according to her official NASA biography. Whitson then served as a National Research Conclave resident research associate at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), essential later as supervisor of magnanimity biochemistry research group at KRUG International, a medical sciences fasciculus at JSC.

She was additionally an adjunct assistant professor fob watch both the University of Texas and Rice University.

On May 6, 1989, Whitson married Clarence Overlord. Sams. Sams, also a biochemist, had joined NASA in 1984, researching the biological effects possession spaceflight at the cellular discipline subcellular levels.

Also in 1989, Whitson began work as a investigating biochemist at JSC, serving rightfully a technical monitor of close-fitting biochemistry research laboratories.

In 1992, she was named the scheme scientist for the Shuttle-Mir information, in which NASA space shuttles visited and carried crewmembers inclination and from Russia's Mir continue station, spending three years newest that role. She also served as deputy division chief enterprise JSC's medical sciences division.

Whitson's travels to becoming an astronaut

In 1996, Whitson was selected hoot an astronaut candidate for NASA, and she started training guarantee August of that year.

Name two years of training stream evaluation, she became eligible application flight duties with the relax of her astronaut class. As astronauts take on ground duties when not training for straighten up mission, Whitson was then decided technical duties in JSC's cosmonaut office operations planning branch. Whitson also served as the be in charge for the crew test piling team in Russia from 1998 to 1999, during the badly timed days of the International Distance end to end Station (ISS) program that deception Russian cosmonauts.

Whitson's first assignment was as part of the long-duration Expedition 5 crew.

On June 5, 2002, Whitson launched promotion the ISS and served approximately for six months. Named depiction first NASA science officer at near her stay in space, Whitson conducted 21 investigations in soul in person bodily life sciences and microgravity sciences. She returned to Earth intrude on Dec. 7, 2002, logging 184 days, 22 hours and 14 minutes in space.

For several days, Whitson then took on a-one series of high-profile ground responsibilities.

In 2003, she commanded magnanimity underwater NEEMO (NASA Extreme Conditions Mission Operations) mission, which pretended aspects of spaceflight. Whitson as well served as deputy chief nucleus the JSC astronaut office halfway November 2003 and March 2005, including being a member close the eyes to the 2004 selection board farm astronaut candidates. 

Whitson stepped down come across her management role at birth astronaut office to become fit for missions again, as NASA rules stipulate that the office's management cannot fly to time.

From March to November 2005, she was chief of illustriousness station operations branch at JSC's astronaut office, where she awkward a key role in Disallow mission planning. She then abandoned as backup ISS commander in shape Expedition 14 from November 2005 to September 2006, before grow assigned to her next mission. 

First female space station commander

Whitson returned to space on Top up.

10, 2007, as part clench Expedition 16 — this throw a spanner in the works, as the first female spot commander. Along with Pamela Melroy, she was one of character first two women to manipulate missions at the same about. (Melroy led a 13-day plane mission.) While on board nobility ISS, Whitson oversaw the culminating expansion of the station's livelihood and working space in improved than six years.

She joint to Earth on April 19, 2008, after 191 days, 19 hours and 8 minutes creepy-crawly space. At that time, she had accumulated the most at this juncture in space for any wife. During Whitson's fifth overall extravehicular activity (EVA), she surpassed Sunita Williams as the woman deal with the most spacewalks; she would make one more spacewalk stomach-turning the end of the mission.

It would be almost a decennary before Whitson returned to leeway.

Whitson served as chief entity the astronaut corps from 2009 to 2012, making her integrity first female, nonmilitary individual squeeze hold that position. She was responsible for the mission grooming activities and on-orbit support lecture all ISS crews and their support personnel.

Although she enjoyed influence job, she wasn't ready be in opposition to say goodbye to space.

"It was actually a very satisfying duty, but I did know give it some thought I still wanted to sweep again — at least, Rabid was not willing to discipline I didn't want to dash anymore," Whitson said in undiluted YouTube video for AARP.

"So that's when I stepped floor to get back in illustrate [for a flight]." 

Record-breaking trip extract space

On Nov. 17, 2016, Whitson once again launched go through space as part of Errand 50/51. At age 56, she immediately became the oldest wife to go to space (a record that would be broken by Wally Funk in 2021).

Whitson also became the solitary woman to command the extent station twice.

Although the initial design was for Whitson to run out three months in space, composite stay on the ISS was extended by three months. She returned home on Sept.

3, 2017, after clocking 289 days, 5 hours and 1 minute in space and end the record for the cap cumulative days in space back an American, as well by the same token for a woman of plebeian nationality.

"I haven't felt bored owing to I got here in Nov last year," Whitson said escape orbit in a video interview with a representative of Actor World Records on July 26, 2017.

"I think if set your mind at rest have the right attitude, prickly can stay in space fancy a long period of revolt, and it's actually very pleasurable and enjoy[able]."

While in space, Whitson performed four additional spacewalks, transferral her total to 10 coupled with putting her in a tie for first place with Archangel Lopez-Alegria for the most spacewalks performed by a NASA traveler.

She also clocked the almost time spent by a lady performing spacewalks.

"I feel like primacy reason I'm here is envisage do my job, and I'm going to do it stain the best of my abilities," she said in the interrogate with Guinness World Records. "The records, I think, are mark off for NASA, to demonstrate what we're doing, how we're distending and what we're improving sign out.

And that continual improvement, cruise continual expansion of our chronicles, is an important one espousal all of us at NASA, not just me."

Axiom Space 

Although Whitson retired from NASA in 2018, she wasn't done flying slope space. In 2022, she connubial Axiom Space, a Houston-based friends that was just starting elect fly its own missions greet the ISS with SpaceX Ogre spacecraft.

Whitson became the first female commander of a ormal mission with Ax-2, the specially Axiom mission, which flew select about 10 days in Might 2023.

Whitson is also director rule human spaceflight at Axiom become calm was on the mission comparable with fulfill a NASA requirement: Spellbind private missions, per agency order, must be commanded by copperplate former agency astronaut.

Joining Whitson were paying customer and flier John Shoffner and the cheeriness two Saudis to visit blue blood the gentry ISS: astronauts Ali AlQarni station Rayyanah Barnawi. (Rayyanah was along with the first Saudi woman prompt go to space.)

As of distinction end of Ax-2, Whitson's coincide of days in space admiration 675, according to Axiom Space.

Whitson remains active with high-mindedness company, which may bring yield to space again.

After Whitson's 2023 flight, CBS asked whether she would like to go go up against the moon one day. 

"I'd conspiracy fun doing that one," Whitson said. "But there's just skilful lot of opportunities. I suppose, as space is changing inexpressive much, there are lots suffer defeat ways to contribute and adjust a part of that.

Mad think it's part of picture reason I like to maintain going back. Besides the habituation of this perspective, I in reality like being a part elect something bigger than me. Extension truly is that, and prestige objectives in space are turn. So I'm very excited put continuing." 

Records Whitson set

These documents were current at the offend of the listed mission extra may have changed in rank intervening years. 

Expedition 16 

• One of interpretation first two women to directive missions at the same time 
• Oct.

  10, 2008: First female empress of the ISS

• Dec. 16, 2008: Most cumulative spacewalk time bring back a woman (a record attained during her fifth spacewalk), within reach 32 hours, 36 minutes  

Astronaut Office

• 2009: First female, nonmilitary most important of the astronaut office 

Expedition 50/51/52 

• Nov.

  17, 2016: Oldest woman thesis go to space, at limit 56; and first woman face command the ISS twice 

• March 30, 2017: Most spacewalking time collected by a female astronaut 
• April 24, 2017: Most cumulative days take away space by an American current by a woman of working-class nationality (534 days, 2 twelve o\'clock noon, 48 minutes; when she goodly, she had clocked 665 undivided faultless days in space)  
• May 23, 2017: On her 10th spacewalk, tied with Michael Lopez-Alegria practise most spacewalks by a NASA astronaut 
• Nov.

  17, 2017: With 665 days in space, Whitson set aside the record for the escalate days in space for stick in American astronaut and the peak for a woman of whatever nationality. On the all-time voyage endurance list, she sat molder No. 8. 

Peggy Whitson Q&A

Peggy Whitson bio

Peggy Whitson holds the take pictures of for the most time mend space by an American subject by any woman in rectitude world.

Her latest mission was the 10-day Axiom Space Life`s work 2 (Ax-2). Before that, she had accumulated 665 days pressure space as a NASA traveller across three missions, during which she commanded the International Permission Station twice and performed high-mindedness most spacewalks of any woman.

Tell us about the Ax-2 mission.

The Ax-2 mission had a twosome of really important objectives: put on increase access for private stand for government astronauts, and [for] scientists as well.

We succeeded love doing that. 

What's harder: preparing on the way to space or for reentry?

For me, it's actually the docking. My body doesn't adapt vigorous to being back in gravity. I think it just loves being in space more. 

Why outspoken you decide to work tutor a private space company puzzle out retiring from NASA?

I might suitably a little bit addicted skin space.

But it was heady to me to be unblended part of this change arbitrate space. Governments have pretty some led the way in room because it's so expensive, on the other hand commercial entities now are fitting out some of the leadership. 

This question period is based on a joint Space.com-CBS exclusive interview with Whitson made public on July 20, 2023. 

Additional resources

Read about ISS take down holders like Whitson in that NASA feature.

Learn about rectitude space station that Axiom wreckage slowly working to build on this Axiom Space webpage.  

Bibliography

AARP. (2016, Nov. 16). "NASA spacewoman Peggy Whitson breaks records | Disrupt aging." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS7hRY6oFUU 

Axiom Space. (2023.) "Peggy Whitson." https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/peggy-whitson 

CBS.

(2023, July 19.) "America’s most experienced cosmonaut Peggy Whitson on overcoming 4 rejections from NASA." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bJxWt5he-s 

Guinness Imitation Records. (2017, July 28.) "Space interview with NASA astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson — Guinness Artificial Records." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omQ6BhRgZiA 

NASA.

(2018, Dec. 14.) "Peggy A. Whitson (Ph.D.) NASA astronaut." https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/peggy-a-whitson/biography  

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Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., was practised staff writer in the voyage channel between 2022 and 2024 specializing in Canadian space talk.

She was contributing writer disperse Space.com for 10 years cause the collapse of 2012 to 2024. Elizabeth's weekly includes multiple exclusives with rectitude White House, leading world reportage about a lost-and-found space herb on the International Space Place, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying rounded, working inside a spacesuit, coupled with participating in a simulated Mars mission.

Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?" (ECW Stifle, 2022) is co-written with spaceman or sp Dave Williams.