Record-breaking NASA astronaut and crew back home
After logging 196 kilometers in space and 4,623 orbits of Earth, 57-year old NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson returned to Earth with her crewmates. The mission spanned 288 days, and saw Whitson work on experiments that included studying cancerous tissues and bone cells aboard the $100-billion International Space Station. The completion of the mission recorded a whopping 665 cumulative days in orbit for the astronaut.
Who is Peggy Whitson?
Peggy Whitson is a NASA astronaut who was part of NASA's Expedition 50/51, her third long-duration mission. Born in 1960, she grew up in Iowa and soon started working at the Johnson Space Center. Since then, she has clocked multiple records, courtesy her space missions.
Whitson's biggest Guinness world records
The astronaut has snagged three official Guinness world records, making a mark on how NASA has enabled many to push boundaries in human spaceflight. She holds the record for the NASA astronaut with the most cumulative time in space, as well as the highest number of spacewalks made by a woman. Peggy, at 57, is also pitched as the oldest female astronaut in space.
Inching towards other planets?
"I would love to set foot on another planet - lunar or Mars, or somewhere. But I'm afraid I might be getting a tad bit old for that, unfortunately," Peggy Whitson said in a video interview last month.
