Astronaut Peggy Whitson has returned to earth after spending a record-breaking 288 days in space. This is the longest amount of time any female astronaut has spent in orbit for a single space flight.
Whitson's total time spent in space -- 655 days -- is now the most cumulative time spent in space for any astronaut, male or female
The astronaut with the second-most amount of time spent in space is Jeff Williams, who has spent 534 days in space.
Whitson has a string of firsts. Last November, she also became the oldest woman astronaut in space at the age of 56. She is also the only female astronaut to have commanded the International Space Station twice. She has set the record for the most cumulative spacewalking time -- 53 hours and 22 minutes.
US President Donald Trump called up Whitson after she landed.
“I want to congratulate Peggy and Jack for their incredible accomplishments. They make us all very proud,” Trump said in a White House statement. “Exploration has always been at the core of who we are as Americans, and their brave contributions to human space flight have continued that great tradition.”
This seriously badass woman used to post amazing tweets from her life in space. Here are a few:
Whitson has won many awards for her work in space. She has received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal three times; in 1995, 2003 and 2006
In 2006, Whitson received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal.
On April 12, 2011, the Russian government awarded her the ‘Medal For Merit in Space Exploration’ for outstanding contribution to the development of international cooperation in manned space flight.
She is also a biochemist and has expressed her desire to live in Mars!
For her, age is just a number, and she continues to push boundaries. There is so much to learn from her!
Also Read: Peggy Whitson Beats Sunita Williams’ Record For Most Spacewalks By A Woman
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