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Astronaut - Blog Posts
Oh I've met him, he is great with directions
I’m Going Another Way to Find You by Norman Duenas
See? If you look up at space for long enough, you are bound to see a shooting star
by tobilow
Is that Bill Wurtz?
‘snatch’
I dropped my keys
“Fishing Trip” by Flooko
Even when you have the capability of exploring the stars sometimes it's nice to stare at them from a planetary surface
by mr.rolzay
I would bring a tent in case I get sleepy
What Would These Astronauts Put in Their #NASAMoonKit?
NASA is hard at work to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon, and we want to know: what would you pack for a trip to the Moon?
We will be soon conducting our last in a series of Green Run tests for the core stage of our Space Launch System (SLS) — the most powerful rocket ever built.
The series of tests is designed to gradually bring the rocket stage and all its systems to life for the first time — ensuring that it’s ready for missions to the Moon through the Artemis program.
To mark this critical time in the history of American spaceflight, we’ve been asking people like you — what would you take with you on a trip to the Moon? Social media users have been regaling us with their images, videos, and illustrations with the hashtag #NASAMoonKit!
Looking for a little inspiration? We asked some of our astronauts and NASA leaders the same question:
1. NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy
NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy recently took this photo from the International Space Station and posted it to his Twitter account with this caption:
“If I was on the next mission to the Moon, I would have to bring this tiny spaceman with me! He’s flown with me on all of my missions and was in my uniform pocket for all the SEAL missions I have been a part of. Kind of like a good luck charm.”
2. European Space Agency Astronaut Tim Peake
European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake asked his two sons what they would take with them to the Moon. This is what they decided on!
3. NASA Astronaut Scott Tingle
Based on previous missions to space, NASA astronaut Scott Tingle would put a can of LiOH, or Lithium Hydroxide, into his #NASAMoonKit.
A LiOH can pulls carbon dioxide out of the air — very important when you’re in a closed environment for a long time! Apollo 13 enthusiasts will remember that the astronauts had to turn off their environmental system to preserve power. To keep the air safe, they used LiOH cans from another part of the vehicle, but the cans were round and the fitting was square. Today we have interoperability standards for space systems, so no more square pegs in round holes!
4. NASA Astronaut Drew Morgan
NASA astronaut Drew Morgan received some feedback from his youngest daughter when she was in kindergarten about she would put into her #NASAMoonKit.
5. Head of Human Spaceflight Kathy Lueders
Although Kathy Lueders is not an astronaut, she is the head of human spaceflight at NASA! Her #NASAMoonKit includes activities to keep her entertained as well as her favorite pillow.
6. NASA Astronaut Kenneth Bowersox
NASA astronaut Kenneth Bowersox knows from his past space shuttle experience what the “perfect space food” is — peanut butter. He would also put a hooded sweatshirt in his #NASAMoonKit, for those long, cold nights on the way to the Moon.
7. NASA Astronaut Michael Collins
NASA astronaut Michael Collins has actually made a real-life #NASAMoonKit — when he flew to the Moon on the Apollo 11 mission! But for this time around, he tweeted that would like to bring coffee like he did the first time — but add on a good book.
How to Show Us What’s In Your #NASAMoonKit:
There are four social media platforms that you can use to submit your work:
Instagram: Use the Instagram app to upload your photo or video, and in the description include #NASAMoonKit
Twitter: Share your image on Twitter and include #NASAMoonKit in the tweet
Facebook: Share your image on Facebook and include #NASAMoonKit in the post
Tumblr: Share your image in Tumblr and include #NASAMoonKit in the tags
If your #NASAMoonKit catches our eye, we may share your post on our NASA social media accounts or share it on the Green Run broadcast!
Click here for #NASAMoonKit Terms and Conditions.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Today, I want to take a moment to recognize the achievements of Judith Resnik, an American astronaut who made history as the second American woman in space. Resnik was born on April 5, 1949, in Akron, Ohio, and earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1970. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland in 1977.
Resnik was selected by NASA in 1978 to be a mission specialist in the space shuttle program. She first flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1984 as part of the crew of mission STS-41D. During this mission, Resnik helped deploy three satellites and conducted various experiments in space. She later flew aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1986 as part of the crew of mission STS-51L. Tragically, this mission ended in disaster when the Challenger was destroyed shortly after liftoff, killing all seven crew members, including Resnik.
Judith Resnik was a brilliant scientist and a trailblazer for women in the field of space exploration. Her contributions to the space shuttle program and her legacy as a pioneering astronaut will never be forgotten.
This is her flightsuit worn while training.
#NASA #seec2023 #johnsonspacecenter #spacecenterhouston #STEM #astronaut #WomenInSTEM #SolarSystemAmbassador
NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab: The Ultimate Underwater Simulator for Astronauts
NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL) is a state-of-the-art underwater facility located in Houston, Texas. It serves as an underwater simulation environment for astronauts to train for spacewalks and other extravehicular activities (EVAs). The NBL is one of the most advanced training facilities in the world and plays a critical role in preparing astronauts for the challenges they will face in space.
The NBL is a massive indoor pool that is over 200 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 40 feet deep. It contains a full-scale mock-up of the International Space Station (ISS) and other space structures, allowing astronauts to practice and perfect their spacewalking techniques in a controlled and safe environment. The pool is filled with over 6 million gallons of water, which provides a simulated weightless experience similar to that of space.
Astronauts are equipped with a full spacewalk suit, which provides them with life support and protection from the harsh conditions of space. The suit is buoyant, which makes it difficult for astronauts to move around in water. To overcome this challenge, the suit is weighted with lead weights to balance out the buoyancy, making it possible for astronauts to move around freely in the water. This process of weight balancing is called "neutral buoyancy," which gives the NBL its name.
The NBL is not only a training facility for spacewalking, but it is also used to test new spacewalk equipment and procedures. It allows engineers and scientists to observe how equipment and procedures perform in a simulated microgravity environment. This information is then used to make improvements and ensure the safety of astronauts in space.
One of the unique features of the NBL is its ability to simulate various lighting conditions, including daylight, nighttime, and the red lighting that is used during spacewalks. This capability allows astronauts to train for all types of spacewalking scenarios and ensures that they are well-prepared for any situation they may encounter in space.
In conclusion, NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab is a crucial component of astronaut training and space exploration. It provides a safe and controlled environment for astronauts to train for spacewalks and other EVAs, while also allowing engineers and scientists to test new equipment and procedures. The NBL plays a vital role in ensuring the success and safety of NASA's space missions.
Just having a little fun. I saw an ad for kid astronaut portraits. I thought to myself, “Who’s the biggest kid you know?” Why, me of course! . . . . . #dreams #solarsystemambassador #astronaut #astroNOT https://www.instagram.com/p/COHIgcAjFse/?igshid=xb4lvwifhuq6
It’s here! My first children’s book for ages 4-7 is available on Amazon. “Mission, GO!” by Johnathan Brackett is available in Kindle form or paperback. Thanks to friends and family for the encouragement. #space #astronaut #stem #steam #spaceflight #iss #internationalspacestation https://www.instagram.com/p/CJJXR_njF53/?igshid=1gqq80oafbo1b
Astronaut Training Experience at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center! #nasa #orionspacecraft @rocketcenterusa @spacecampusa #space #spaceflight #stem #stemeducation #iss #internationalspacestation #astronaut #huntsvillealabama @visithuntsvilleal (at U.S. Space & Rocket Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIKVmOcjcdQ/?igshid=1pki5qwzwoc25
Charlie Duke’s moon boot prints at South Carolina Hall of Fame in Myrtle Beach, SC.
If I ever became president I would make all astronauts learn to moon walk. If they can’t moon walk? They can stay at their space station. 😐. Moon walk is necessary at all times. Say a news reporter walked up to you and asks, “do you guys actually have to learn to moon walk?” You can always reply “yes, it is necessary for all astronauts because it makes us look cool” or something stupid.
In conclusion, astronauts need to learn to moon walk.
https://youtu.be/hvaYOMac9bo
I'm sorry yet I had to.
[Wednesday, 23 August 2023]
Today India made its first soft landing on the moon's south pole.
I was watching the landing live on YouTube like millions of other Indians and maybe non-indians too. The last minute of landing was more nerve racking than anything, considering it was India's 3rd attempt in doing so. But finally we did it thanks to the hardwork and dedication of all the scientists at ISRO and many others who helped behind the scenes. Dr. Homi Bhabha, Dr. Sarabhai, Dr. Kalam and many others who had this far fetched vision of Indian space research would be so proud right now, seeing how it is all coming together like clockwork.
India is the 4th country to achieve a soft landing on the moon after the USA, Russia and China and the first one to do so on the moon's south pole. Just like its name a soft landing refers to landing the craft gently on the moon's surface with a speed of about 2 meters per second, which is actually not an easy feat because of the moon's rough terrain. The terrain is still a lot better near the lunar equator, where the aforementioned countries achieved soft landing unlike India which did so at the south pole having hell-like terrains with all the bumps and craters, little to no sunlight, and temperatures going as down as -215°C. One of the main reasons India was eager to reach the south pole is the lack of information about it and the possibility of millions of years old ice present there. The chandrayan 2 craft present there has also detected some hydroxyl(OH) there. Hope this endeavour makes a "giant leap for mankind"!
And genuinely hoping to be a part of such a project in the coming years! Please do remember me in your prayers.
Signing off
User_liztical
It took me a while to understand how it was actually built, I thought it was just some tiny ring like structures until they went to the side. Truly a fascinating structure. A piece of art indeed.
Astronaut sculpture from an ex-physicist (Source/Credit)
"𝙻𝚊 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎 𝚎𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚘 𝚞𝚗 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚊í𝚍𝚊𝚜… 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚘 𝚏𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊 𝚜𝚒 𝚕𝚊 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊". — 𝙰𝚕𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚝 𝙴𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚒𝚗
d o n t t e l l m e t h e s k y i s t h e l i m i t w h e n t h e r e a r e f o o t p r i n t s o n t h e m o o n ⭐
What do you get when you combine a doctor, engineer & astronaut? Mae Carol Jemison! Dr. Jemison flew on Space Shuttle Endeavour in Sept 1992 to become the 1st African-American woman in space. The 7-day, 22-hour flight was the 50th Shuttle mission & had a focus on conducting microgravity investigations in materials & life sciences. Dr. Jemison also holds an amazing 9 doctorates; don’t know how that’s humanly possible; getting my BA was tough enough!
HI everyone, this is my recently design practice, moon rover in nearfuture.. for more: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/g0LXRQ
Attack on catestrophic_dragon for Artfight!
Amazing 🌌✨
We Worked on Apollo
On July 20, 1969, the world watched as Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their first steps on the Moon. It was a historic moment for the United States and for humanity. Until then, no human had ever walked on another world. To achieve this remarkable feat, we recruited the best and brightest scientists, engineers and mathematicians across the country. At the peak of our Apollo program, an estimated 400,000 Americans of diverse race and ethnicity worked to realize President John F. Kennedy’s vision of landing humans on the Moon and bringing them safely back to Earth. The men and women of our Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley supported the Apollo program in numerous ways – from devising the shape of the Apollo space capsule to performing tests on its thermal protection system and study of the Moon rocks and soils collected by the astronauts. In celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, here are portraits of some of the people who worked at Ames in the 1960s to help make the Apollo program a success.
“I knew Neil Armstrong. I had a young daughter and she took her first step on the day that Neil stepped foot on the Moon. Isn’t that something?”
Hank Cole did research on the design of the Saturn V rocket, which propelled humans to the Moon. An engineer, his work at Ames often took him to Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, where he met Neil Armstrong and other pilots who tested experimental aircraft.
“I worked in a lab analyzing Apollo 11 lunar dust samples for microbes. We wore protective clothing from head to toe, taking extreme care not to contaminate the samples.”
Caye Johnson came to Ames in 1964. A biologist, she analyzed samples taken by Apollo astronauts from the Moon for signs of life. Although no life was found in these samples, the methodology paved the way for later work in astrobiology and the search for life on Mars.
“I investigated a system that could be used to provide guidance and control of the Saturn V rocket in the event of a failure during launch. It was very exciting and challenging work.”
Richard Kurkowski started work at Ames in 1955, when the center was still part of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, NASA’s predecessor. An engineer, he performed wind tunnel tests on aircraft prior to his work on the Apollo program.
“I was 24 and doing some of the first computer programming work on the Apollo heat shield. When we landed on the Moon it was just surreal. I was very proud. I was in awe.”
Mike Green started at Ames in 1965 as a computer programmer. He supported aerospace engineers working on the development of the thermal protection system for the Apollo command module. The programs were executed on some of earliest large-scale computers available at that time.
“In 1963 there was alarm that the Apollo heat shield would not be able to protect the astronauts. We checked and found it would work as designed. Sure enough, the astronauts made it home safely!”
Gerhard Hahne played an important role in certifying that the Apollo spacecraft heat shield used to bring our astronauts home from the Moon would not fail. The Apollo command module was the first crewed spacecraft designed to enter the atmosphere of Earth at lunar-return velocity – approximately 24,000 mph, or more than 30 times faster than the speed of sound.
“I was struck by the beauty of the photo of Earth rising above the stark desert of the lunar surface. It made me realize how frail our planet is in the vastness of space.”
Jim Arnold arrived at Ames in 1962 and was hired to work on studying the aerothermodynamics of the Apollo spacecraft. He was amazed by the image captured by Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders from lunar orbit on Christmas Eve in 1968 of Earth rising from beneath the Moon’s horizon. The stunning picture would later become known as the iconic Earthrise photo.
“When the spacecraft returned to Earth safely and intact everyone was overjoyed. But I knew it wasn’t going to fail.”
Howard Goldstein came to Ames in 1967. An engineer, he tested materials used for the Apollo capsule heat shield, which protected the three-man crew against the blistering heat of reentry into Earth’s atmosphere on the return trip from the Moon.
“I was in Houston waiting to study the first lunar samples. It was very exciting to be there when the astronauts walked from the mobile quarantine facility into the building.”
Richard Johnson developed a simple instrument to analyze the total organic carbon content of the soil samples collected by Apollo astronauts from the Moon’s surface. He and his wife Caye Johnson, who is also a scientist, were at our Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston when the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to Earth so they could examine the samples immediately upon their arrival.
“I tested extreme atmospheric entries for the Apollo heat shield. Teamwork and dedication produced success.”
William Borucki joined Ames in 1962. He collected data on the radiation environment of the Apollo heat shield in a facility used to simulate the reentry of the Apollo spacecraft into Earth’s atmosphere.
Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing and hear about our future plans to go forward to the Moon and on to Mars by tuning in to a special two-hour live NASA Television broadcast at 1 pm ET on July 19. Watch the program at www.nasa.gov/live.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
NASA Touches Down in Virginia to Tout Missions at AeroSpace Days
Leaders from NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia, described their accomplishments and future missions at NASA’s AeroSpace Days on Feb. 6 and 7 in Richmond.
NASA Langley Director Dave Bowles, left, meets with Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni at NASA AeroSpace Days Feb. 6 in Richmond, Virginia.Credits: NASA/David C. Bowman
NASA officials and representatives from the aerospace industry met with all 140 members of the General Assembly or their staffs, as well as Gov. Ralph Northam, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, and cabinet members.
One of those lawmakers was newly elected Del. Kathy Convirs-Fowler. When she finished getting autographed pictures of Lindgren for her two children, she asked officials how aerospace initiatives can be advanced to students.
“As a former teacher, I’m very big on the programs we can implement,” she said, adding that a goal of hers is to increase the number of women and girls in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) public school programs.
It’s not every day you get to shake hands with an astronaut. Kjell Lindgren, who flew on the International Space Station, was a popular face in the group of NASA representatives on an annual journey to bring the agency’s message to Virginia lawmakers.
Sen. John Consgrove was so fired up to talk with Lindgren that he apologized for it.
“I’m sorry I’m ignoring everybody else, but I don’t get to speak to an astronaut every day,” he said.
Lindgren is used to the outsized attention, and welcomed it as an opportunity to talk about NASA’s contributions to Virginia.
“It’s one of my favorite parts of the job,” he said. “You can see that they’re very enthusiastic, very interested and excited.”
Leaders from NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia, described their accomplishments and future missions at NASA’s AeroSpace Days on Feb. 6 and 7 in Richmond.
NASA officials and representatives from the aerospace industry met with all 140 members of the General Assembly or their staffs, as well as Gov. Ralph Northam, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, and cabinet members.
One of those lawmakers was newly elected Del. Kathy Convirs-Fowler. When she finished getting autographed pictures of Lindgren for her two children, she asked officials how aerospace initiatives can be advanced to students.
“As a former teacher, I’m very big on the programs we can implement,” she said, adding that a goal of hers is to increase the number of women and girls in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) public school programs.
“We want to excite the next generation,” Langley Deputy Director Clayton Turner told her. “That’s part of what we do.”
NASA Langley and Wallops have strong partnerships with private industry, including numerous technology transfer, commercialization and licensing success stories. In 2017, the two NASA centers brought a combined economic impact of $1.3 billion to Virginia and supported more than 10,000 jobs, according to an analysis by a private-sector company contracted by Langley.
“The collaboration has been really helpful,” Turner said.
Also, the state has assets that offer potential for growing the aerospace sector, including multiple universities, more than 285 aerospace firms, 66 public-use airports and a spaceport with access to orbit – one of only four in the U.S.
“By having two NASA centers here in Virginia, it also gives our students something to aim for,” Lindgren said. “The state is very fortunate and unique in that respect to have all those resources.”
AeroSpace Days, held for the past 13 years, aims to leverage those resources to recruit the next generation of explorers. That imperative drives Del. Marcia Price.
“If there’s anything I can do to help, especially in my community, to help with the outreach efforts so that they know about programs so my kids can be a part of the excellent things that are going on, let me know,” she said.
Those thoughts were echoed by Secretary of Education Atif Qarni, who offered to sponsor field trips to Langley and Wallops, speaking engagements, and support of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-related legislation.
“We’re here to help any way we can,” he said.
In addition to meeting lawmakers and their staffs, NASA was formally recognized on the floor of the Virginia Senate by Sen. Mamie Locke during session. Locke praised Langley’s contributions over the last 100 years and asked the group of NASA employees participating in AeroSpace Days to stand up and be recognized.
“That was a cool moment,” said Langley spokesman Michael Finneran.” It’s very satisfying to realize that we’re helping improve people’s lives through what we and our partners do. We felt like rock stars for a few minutes.”
To view a photo gallery of 2018 AeroSpace Days, click here.
Eric Gillard NASA Langley Research Center
Happy Birthday to NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson!
Born February 9, 1960, Peggy A. Whitson (Ph.D.) flew on Expedition 50/51 and participated in four spacewalks, bringing her career total to ten. With a total of 665 days in space, Whitson holds the U.S. record, placing eighth on the all-time space endurance list. The Iowa native also completed two six-month tours of duty aboard the station for Expedition 5 in 2002, and as the station commander for Expedition 16 in 2008 where she accumulated 377 days in space between the two missions, the most for any U.S. woman at the time of her return to Earth.
Education: Graduated from Mt. Ayr Community High School, Mt. Ayr, Iowa, in 1978; received a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1981 and a Doctorate in Biochemistry from Rice University in 1985.
Experience: From 1981 to 1985, Dr. Whitson conducted her graduate work in Biochemistry at Rice University, Houston, Texas, as a Robert A. Welch Predoctoral Fellow. Following completion of her graduate work, she continued at Rice University as a Robert A. Welch Postdoctoral Fellow until October 1986. Following this position, she began her studies at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, Texas, as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate. From April 1988 until September 1989, Whitson served as the Supervisor for the Biochemistry Research Group at KRUG International, a medical sciences contractor at NASA-JSC. From 1991 to 1997, Whitson was invited to be an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics at University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas. In 1997, Whitson began a position as Adjunct Assistant Professor at Rice University in the Maybee Laboratory for Biochemical and Genetic Engineering.
NASA Experience: From 1989 to 1993, Dr. Whitson worked as a Research Biochemist in the Biomedical Operations and Research Branch at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. From 1991 to 1993, she served as Technical Monitor of the Biochemistry Research Laboratories in the Biomedical Operations and Research Branch. From 1991 to 1992, she was the Payload Element Developer for the Bone Cell Research Experiment (E10) aboard SL-J (STS-47) and was a member of the U.S.-USSR Joint Working Group in Space Medicine and Biology. In 1992, she was named the Project Scientist of the Shuttle-Mir Program (STS-60, STS‑63, STS-71, Mir 18, Mir 19) and served in this capacity until the conclusion of the Phase 1A Program in 1995. From 1993 to 1996, Whitson held the additional responsibilities of the Deputy Division Chief of the Medical Sciences Division at Johnson Space Center. From 1995 to 1996, she served as Co-Chair of the U.S.-Russian Mission Science Working Group. In April 1996, she was selected as an Astronaut Candidate and started training in August 1996. Upon completing two years of training and evaluation, she was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Operations Planning Branch and served as the lead for the Crew Test Support Team in Russia from 1998 to 1999. From November 2003 to March 2005, she served as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office. Also in 2003, she served as commander of the fifth NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) mission.
From March 2005 to November 2005, she served as Chief of the Station Operations Branch, Astronaut Office. Whitson trained as the backup ISS commander for Expedition 14 from November 2005 to September 2006. Whitson also was a member of the 2004 Astronaut Selection Board and chaired the Astronaut Selection Board in 2009.
Whitson completed two six-month tours of duty aboard the International Space Station, the second as the station commander for Expedition 16 in April 2008. This was Whitson’s second long-duration spaceflight. She has accumulated 377 days in space between the two missions, the most for any woman. Whitson has also performed a total of six career spacewalks, adding up to 39 hours and 46 minutes.
From October 2009 to July 2012, Whitson served as Chief of the Astronaut Corps and was responsible for the mission preparation activities and on-orbit support of all International Space Station crews and their support personnel. She was also responsible for organizing the crew interface support for future heavy launch and commercially-provided transport vehicles. Whitson was the first female, nonmilitary Chief of the Astronaut Office.
Spaceflight Experience: Expedition 5 (June 5 through December 7, 2002). The Expedition 5 crew launched on June 5, 2002, aboard STS-111 and docked with the International Space Station on June 7, 2002. During her six-month stay aboard the space station, Dr. Whitson installed the Mobile Base System, the S1 truss segment and the P1 truss segment, using the Space Station Remote Manipulator System; performed a four hour and 25-minute Orlan spacewalk to install micrometeoroid shielding on the Zvezda Service Module and activated and checked out the Microgravity Sciences Glovebox, a facility class payload rack. She was named the first NASA Science Officer during her stay, and she conducted 21 investigations in human life sciences and microgravity sciences as well as commercial payloads. The Expedition 5 crew (one American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts) returned to Earth aboard STS-113 on December 7, 2002. Completing her first flight, Dr. Whitson logged 184 days, 22 hours and 14 minutes in space.
Expedition 16 (October 10 through April 19, 2008). The Expedition 16 crew of Whitson and Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko launched on October 10, 2007, aboard a Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft and docked with the International Space Station on October 12, 2007. The third crew member position for this expedition was filled by astronauts rotating in and out via shuttle flights and included Clay Anderson, Dan Tani, Leo Eyharts and Garrett Reisman. As commander, Whitson oversaw the first expansion of the station’s living and working space in more than six years. The station and visiting space shuttle crews added the Harmony connecting node, the European Space Agency’s Columbus laboratory, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo logistics pressurized module and the Canadian Space Agency’s Dextre robot. Whitson performed five spacewalks to conduct assembly and maintenance tasks outside the complex. She and Malenchenko undocked from the station and returned to Earth on April 19, 2008, aboard the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft. Whitson logged 192 days in space.
Whitson launched on November 17, 2016, as part of Expedition 50/51 and returned safely on Earth on September 3, 2017. She contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science, welcomed several cargo spacecraft delivering tons of supplies and research experiments, and conducted a combined six spacewalks to perform maintenance and upgrades to the station. Whitson participated in four spacewalks, bringing her career total to ten. With a total of 665 days in space, Whitson holds the U.S. record, placing eighth on the all-time space endurance list.
Awards/Honors: Inducted into Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame (2011); BioHouston Women in Science Award (2011); Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2011; Russian Medal of Merit for Space (2011); Texas Women on the Move award recipient (2010); Distinguished Alumni Award, Rice University (2010); NASA Space Flight Medal (2002, 2008); First Lady of Iowa Award presented by the Iowa High School Girls’ Athletic Union (2010); Iowa Transportation Museum, Hero of Valor (2009); Lion’s Club Mount Ayr Elementary Science Lab dedication, Peggy Whitson Science Center (2008); NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (2006); Distinguished Alumni Award, Iowa Wesleyan College (2002); two patents approved (1997, 1998); Group Achievement Award for Shuttle-Mir Program (1996); American Astronautical Society Randolph Lovelace II Award (1995); NASA Tech Brief Award (1995); NASA Space Act Board Award (1995, 1998); NASA Silver Snoopy Award (1995); NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1995, 2003, 2006, 2008); NASA Space Act Award for Patent Application; NASA Certificate of Commendation (1994); Selected for Space Station Redesign Team (March to June 1993); NASA Sustained Superior Performance Award (1990); Krug International Merit Award (1989); NASA JSC National Research Council Resident Research Associate (1986 to 1988); Summa Cum Laude from Iowa Wesleyan College (1981); President’s Honor Roll (1978 to 1981); Orange van Calhoun Scholarship (1980); State of Iowa Scholar (1979); Academic Excellence Award (1978).
Image Credits: NASA
Langley Research Center Centennial Event
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, right, and Langley Research Center Director, Dr. David E. Bowles, left, poses for a photo with staff dressed in space suits on Langley Research Center's Centennial float on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, at Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA.
Photo Credit: NASA Langley Research Center