Peggy Whitson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peggy Whitson
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Whitson at the National Air and Space Museum in 2018
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| Born | February 9, 1960 Beaconsfield, Iowa, U.S.
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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695 days, 7 hours and 4 minutes |
| Selection | NASA Group 16 (1996) |
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Total EVAs
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10 |
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Total EVA time
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60 hours, 21 minutes |
| Missions |
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Mission insignia
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| Retirement | June 15, 2018 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry |
| Thesis | The Lactose Repressor-Operator DNA Interaction: Chemical and Physical Studies of the Complex (Modification, Equilibrium, Protein, Stopped-Flow, Kinetics) (1986) |
| Doctoral advisor | Kathleen Matthews |
Peggy Annette Whitson (born February 9, 1960) is an amazing American biochemistry researcher and astronaut. She used to work for NASA and is now with Axiom Space. Peggy Whitson has spent a total of 695 days in space. This is more time than any other American astronaut or any other woman in the world!
Her first trip to space with NASA was in 2002. She lived on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Expedition 5. On her second mission, Expedition 16 (2007-2008), she made history by becoming the first woman to command the ISS. In 2009, she became the first woman to be NASA's Chief Astronaut. This is the top job for astronauts at NASA. She also became the first woman to command the International Space Station twice in 2017. Her flight that year lasted 289 days, which was the longest single space flight by a woman for a while.
Peggy Whitson holds records for being the oldest woman to walk in space and for doing the most spacewalks as a woman (10 spacewalks!). Her total time spent outside the spacecraft during spacewalks is over 60 hours. When she finished her last NASA flight, she was 57 years old, making her the oldest woman in space at that time. She is still the oldest woman to orbit Earth, a record she set in 2025 at age 65.
She retired from NASA on June 15, 2018. After that, she started working as a consultant for Axiom Space. She commanded the Axiom Mission 2 in 2023 and the Axiom Mission 4 in 2025. Time magazine included her in their list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2018.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peggy Whitson grew up on a farm in Iowa with her family. Her parents were farmers. When she was a child in 1969, she watched the first Moon landing on TV. That's when she decided she wanted to become an astronaut!
She finished high school in 1978. Then, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1981. She continued her studies and received her doctorate degree in biochemistry from Rice University in 1986. She is married to Clarence F. Sams.
Working at NASA
Peggy Whitson started working at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, in 1986. She worked as a research biochemist. She also helped manage research groups and projects related to space medicine. From 1992 to 1995, she was a project scientist for the Shuttle-Mir Program.
In April 1996, Peggy Whitson was chosen to become an astronaut! She trained for two years. After her training, she worked on planning missions and helped prepare crews for flights to Russia. In June 2003, she commanded the NEEMO 5 mission. This meant she lived and worked underwater for 14 days in the Aquarius underwater laboratory. From 2003 to 2005, she was the deputy chief of the Astronaut Office.
Chief Astronaut Role
In October 2009, Peggy Whitson was named NASA's Chief of the Astronaut Office. This was a very important job! She was the first woman and the first person who wasn't a pilot to hold this position. She stepped down from this role in July 2012 to prepare for another space mission.
Working with Axiom Space
In 2021, Peggy Whitson became the Director of Human Space Flight for Axiom Space. Axiom Space is a company that plans private space missions. In January 2021, Axiom announced she would be a backup commander for their first mission, Axiom Mission 1.
On May 21, 2023, Whitson returned to space as the commander of the second Axiom mission, Axiom Mission 2. They docked with the ISS and spent 8 days in space. She was also a backup commander for Axiom Mission 3. On June 26, 2025, Whitson commanded the fourth Axiom mission, Axiom Mission 4.
Space Missions
Expedition 5: First Trip to Space
Peggy Whitson's first space mission, Expedition 5, launched on June 5, 2002. Her crew docked with the International Space Station two days later. During her six months on the Space Station, she helped install important parts using the station's robotic arm. She also did a spacewalk for over 4 hours in a Russian Orlan space suit. During this spacewalk, she helped install shielding on the Zvezda Service Module.
Whitson became the first NASA science officer during this mission. She carried out 21 different science experiments. The Expedition 5 crew returned to Earth on December 7, 2002. On this first flight, Peggy Whitson spent 184 days, 22 hours, and 14 minutes in space.
Expedition 16: Commander in Space
Her second mission, Expedition 16, started on October 10, 2007. She launched on a Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft. She returned to Earth on April 19, 2008. During the return, there was a problem with the spacecraft, and the crew experienced very strong forces, about eight times Earth's gravity! She spent 191 days, 19 hours, and 8 minutes in space on this mission.
On December 18, 2007, during a spacewalk, Peggy Whitson broke a record. She became the female astronaut with the most total time spent on spacewalks in NASA history. Her fifth spacewalk made her total spacewalk time over 29 hours. By the end of her sixth spacewalk during Expedition 16, her total spacewalk time was 39 hours and 46 minutes.
Expedition 50/51/52: Breaking More Records
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Peggy Whitson arrived at the International Space Station on November 19, 2016. She launched on Soyuz MS-03 from Kazakhstan. She became the commander of Expedition 51. At 56 years old, she became the oldest woman to fly into space. During this mission, she broke the record for the most total time spent in space by a U.S. astronaut, passing the previous record of 534 days. In April 2017, her mission was extended for three more months. She returned to Earth on September 3, 2017.
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In January 2017, Whitson did her seventh spacewalk. During this spacewalk, she helped install new parts and connect electrical wires to prepare for replacing the ISS's batteries. The spacewalk lasted 6 hours and 32 minutes. She now holds the record for the oldest female spacewalker. Her total spacewalk time reached 46 hours and 18 minutes.
On April 24, 2017, Peggy Whitson officially broke the record for the longest time spent in space by any NASA astronaut. She even received a phone call from the U.S. President, Donald Trump, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, to congratulate her!
On May 12, 2017, Whitson performed her ninth spacewalk. They replaced an important storage platform. This spacewalk lasted 4 hours and 13 minutes. On May 23, 2017, she did her tenth spacewalk. This made her total spacewalk time over 60 hours, placing her third on the list for most spacewalk time ever.
On June 1, 2017, Whitson handed over command of the International Space Station to Fyodor Yurchikhin. She returned to Earth on September 3, 2017. By then, she had spent a total of 665 days in space throughout her career. This was more time than any other woman worldwide and any other American astronaut. Her stay during expeditions 50/51/52 was 289 days, 5 hours, and 1 minute.
Axiom Mission 2: Private Spaceflight
Axiom Mission 2 launched on May 21, 2023, from Kennedy Space Center. It used a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket. The Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft docked with the International Space Station the next day.
During this mission, the crew talked to people on Earth and did scientific research. They studied how microgravity affects stem cells and other biological experiments. After eight days docked to the ISS, Axiom 2 undocked and returned to Earth. The Freedom spacecraft landed safely in the Gulf of Mexico.
Axiom Mission 4: Another Command
In April 2024, Peggy Whitson was confirmed as the commander of Axiom Mission 4. This mission was a 16-day trip to the ISS with a crew of four astronauts. The mission launched on June 25, 2025. It was the first flight of the Crew Dragon Grace spacecraft. It docked with the International Space Station the day after launch.
Awards and Honors
- NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (2006)
- NASA Space Flight Medal (2002)
- American Astronautical Society Randolph Lovelace II Award (1995)
- NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1995, 2003, 2006)
- NASA Silver Snoopy Award (1995)
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" (Russia, April 12, 2011)
- Summa cum laude from Iowa Wesleyan College (1981)
- Included in the Time 100 list of influential people for 2018
- Women in Space Science Award (2019)
- International Air and Space Hall of Fame (2018)
- "Women on the Move" Award (2010)
- Space Flight Award (2017)
- Recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2017
See also
In Spanish: Peggy Whitson para niños
