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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675d 4h 5m |
| 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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60h 21m |
| Missions | STS-111/STS-113 (Expedition 5) Soyuz TMA-11 (Expedition 16) Soyuz MS-03/MS-04 (Expedition 50/51/52) Axiom Mission 2 Axiom Mission 4 |
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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 American scientist and astronaut. She has spent more time in space than any other American or woman, with a total of 675 days. She used to work for NASA and is now an astronaut for Axiom Space.
Peggy Whitson has achieved many "firsts" in space. In 2007, she became the first woman to command the International Space Station (ISS). Later, she was the first woman to command the ISS a second time. She also holds records for the oldest woman to do a spacewalk and the most spacewalks by a woman. Her spacewalks total over 60 hours. In 2023, at age 63, she became the oldest woman to orbit Earth.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peggy Whitson grew up on a farm in Beaconsfield, Iowa. She lived with her parents, Keith and Beth, and her three siblings. When she was a child in 1969, she watched the first moon landing on TV. This amazing event made her decide she wanted to become an astronaut.
She finished high school in 1978. Then, she went to Iowa Wesleyan College, where she earned a degree in biology and chemistry in 1981. After that, she studied at Rice University and received her doctorate degree in biochemistry in 1986. She is married to Clarence F. Sams.
Research and NASA Career
After finishing her studies, Peggy Whitson started working at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She worked as a research biochemist. Her work involved studying how the human body reacts to being in space.
From 1991 to 1997, she also taught at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She helped develop experiments for space missions, including the Shuttle-Mir Program. This program involved cooperation between the U.S. and Russia.
In 1996, Peggy Whitson was chosen to become an astronaut. She trained for two years, learning everything needed for space travel. She also spent 14 days living and working underwater in the Aquarius Reef Base for a mission called NEEMO 5. This helped prepare her for living in space.
Chief of the Astronaut Office
In 2009, Whitson was chosen for a very important job: Chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA. This meant she was in charge of all the astronauts. She was the first woman and the first person who wasn't a pilot to hold this position. She left this role in 2012 to return to active spaceflight duty.
Space Missions
Peggy Whitson has flown on several missions to the International Space Station (ISS). She has spent a lot of time living and working in orbit.
Expedition 5: First Mission
Whitson's first space mission was Expedition 5 in 2002. She launched to the ISS on the Space Shuttle STS-111. During her six months on the station, she helped build it using the station's robotic arm. She also did a spacewalk in a Russian Orlan space suit to install shields on the Zvezda module.
She was named the first NASA science officer during this mission. She carried out many science experiments, studying human health and how things behave in microgravity. After 184 days in space, she returned to Earth on STS-113.
Expedition 16: First Woman Commander
Her second mission, Expedition 16, began in October 2007. She launched on a Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft. On this mission, she made history by becoming the first woman to command the International Space Station.
During this mission, she performed several spacewalks. On one spacewalk, she broke the record for the most cumulative spacewalk time for a female astronaut. She spent 191 days in space on this mission. Her return to Earth was a bit bumpy, as the Soyuz capsule experienced a "ballistic reentry," meaning it came down steeper than usual.
Expedition 50/51/52: Longest Flight and More Records
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Peggy Whitson arrived at the ISS for her third long-duration mission in November 2016. She launched on Soyuz MS-03. At 56 years old, she became the oldest woman to fly into space at that time. She also became the commander of Expedition 51, making her the first woman to command the ISS twice.
During this mission, she broke the record for the longest time spent in space by any U.S. astronaut. She received a special phone call from then-President Donald Trump to congratulate her.
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She performed several more spacewalks during this mission. In January 2017, she completed her seventh spacewalk, setting a new record for the oldest female spacewalker. She also tied the record for the total number of spacewalks by a woman. Her tenth spacewalk brought her total spacewalk time to over 60 hours, placing her among the top spacewalkers of all time.
Her mission was extended, and she spent 289 days in space on this single flight. She returned to Earth in September 2017, having accumulated a total of 665 days in space over her career. This was more time than any other woman or American astronaut.
Work with Axiom Space
After retiring from NASA in 2018, Peggy Whitson joined Axiom Space. She is now the Director of Human Space Flight for the company. Axiom Space plans to build its own space station and fly private astronaut missions.
Commander of Axiom Mission 2
In May 2021, Whitson was chosen to command Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2). This mission launched on May 21, 2023, from Kennedy Space Center on a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket. The crew traveled in the Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft and docked with the ISS the next day.
During Ax-2, the crew did scientific research and talked to people on Earth about their experiences. After eight days docked to the ISS, they returned to Earth. The Freedom capsule splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico.
Commander of Axiom Mission 4
In April 2024, Peggy Whitson was confirmed as the commander for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). This mission is planned for April 2025. It will be a 16-day trip to the ISS with a crew of four astronauts.
Awards and Honors
- NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (2006)
- NASA Space Flight Medal (2002)
- Group Achievement Award for Shuttle-Mir Program (1996)
- 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, 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)
- Recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2017.
Images for kids
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NEEMO 5 crew members are pictured in the bunkroom aboard the Aquarius research habitat. Top, L-R: Garrett Reisman, Emma Hwang; Middle: Whitson, Clayton Anderson; Bottom: James Talacek, Ryan Snow.
See also
In Spanish: Peggy Whitson para niños
