NASA has announced to extend Peggy Whitson’s space trip by three months. The US astronaut will now remain in orbit until September.
Peggy is the world’s oldest and most experienced spacewoman, and is currently onboard the International Space Station (ISS). She arrived at ISS last November, and now her current mission – third – will now last about 10 months.
NASA and Russian Space Agency agreed to extend Peggy’s trip for another three months to take advantage of an empty seat on a Soyuz capsule in the fall. She will now return to Earth in September with NASA’s Jack Fischer and Roscosmos’ Fyodor Yurchikhin.
“This is great news,” Whitson said.
“I love being up here. Living and working aboard the space station is where I feel like I make the greatest contribution, so I am constantly trying to squeeze every drop out of my time here.”
“Having three more months to squeeze is just what I would wish for.”
Whitson’s extension means there will now be six astronauts on board ISS.
“Peggy’s skill and experience makes her an incredible asset aboard the space station,” said Kirk Shireman, NASA’s International Space Station Program Manager.
“By extending the stay of one of NASA’s most veteran astronauts, our research, our technology development, our commercial and our international partner communities will all benefit.”
Last week, Peggy had set a new spacewalking record for women in space, when she spent 7 hours and 4 minutes in space on March 30. She now has the most total spacewalking time for women in space. Another NASA astronaut Sunita Williams had the previous record with a cumulative 50 hours and 40 minutes spacewalk time. Whitson broke that record with a total of 53 hours and 22 minutes. Peggy is also the record holder for the oldest woman to ever perform a spacewalk, and the oldest woman in space.
Peggy is currently on her third ISS mission. She first went to space in 2002, and then again in 2007.
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