Peggy Whitson, the first woman to command the International Space Station (ISS), on Monday broke the record for the most time accumulated in orbit by an American, surpassing the record of 534 days, 2 hours and 48 minutes set last year by Jeffrey Williams.
She was already the world’s most experienced woman astronaut and spacewalker and, at 57, the oldest woman in space. Here’s a look back at her barrier-breaking career.
Astronaut Scott Kelly is currently spending a year in space. Most expeditions to the space station last four to six months. By doubling the length of this mission, researchers hope to better understand how the human body reacts and adapts to long-duration spaceflight. During this one-year mission, Kelly is also participating in the Twins Study. While Kelly is in space, his identical twin brother, retired NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly, will participate in a number of comparative genetic studies.
Here are a few things that happen when astronauts go to the space station:
Follow Astronaut Scott Kelly’s Year in Space mission on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
While most people plant gardens on Earth, we’re working to cultivate one in space!
On April 5, the First Lady welcomed students from across the country as well as NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman and NASA astronaut Cady Coleman to the White House Kitchen Garden.
While there, they planted various produce, including the same variety of lettuce that will be sent to the International Space Station on the April 8 SpaceX cargo launch.
These seeds were prepared and packaged for both the First Lady’s garden, as well as the batch headed up to space station. “Outredgeous” Red Romaine Lettuce and “Tokyo bekana” Chinese Cabbage will soon be growing in both gardens!
Our Veggie plant growth system on the space station provides lighting and nutrient supply for a space garden. It supports a variety of plant species that can be cultivated for educational outreach, fresh food and even recreation for crew members on long-duration missions.
When crews travel farther into space, they will need a self-sustaining life support system, and that means growing their own food.
How do we grow plants in space? Here’s a resource for “Space Gardening 101”.
Want to see the space station seeds launch? You can watch Friday’s SpaceX cargo launch live online starting at 3:30 p.m. EDT, with launch scheduled for 4:43 p.m.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton witness the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the roof of the Launch Control Center at Cape Canaveral, 29 October 1998. Standing with them are NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin and astronaut Robert Cabana. Over to the left in a separate group is astronaut Eileen Collins with friends. (NASA)
Stephanie Wilson was born on September 27, 1966 in Boston, Massachusetts. Wilson, a Harvard graduate, was chosen as an astronaut by NASA in 1996. She was on the STS-121 space flight in 2006, the mission that mounted US Node 2 to the International Space Station, and has since made two more outer space voyages. She has won the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the Johnson Space Center Director’s Innovation Group Achievement Award, and the Johnson Space Center Director Commendation Award.
Happy birthday, Stephanie Wilson!
Photo credit: NASA
See astronauts jammin’ on the space station, a rocket bound for Mars and more stellar highlights from May 2018 here.
File Unit: STS-120, 4/12/1981 - 7/21/2011. Series: Mission Photographs Taken During the Space Shuttle Program , 4/12/1981 - 7/21/2011. Record Group 255: Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1903 - 2006.
Submitted anonymously to our Citizen Archivist Takeover.
Submit your ideas for October documents here: https://goo.gl/forms/qBgvcWqUyYioD4yT2.
Astronaut Scott Kelly just returned from his One-Year Mission aboard the International Space Station. After spending 340 days on orbit, you can imagine that he started to miss a few Earthly activities. Here are a few things he did after his return home:
While on the International Space Station for his One-Year Mission, astronaut Scott Kelly saw 16 sunrises/sunsets each day…so he definitely didn’t miss out on the beauty. That said, watching a sunset while on Earth is something that he had to wait to see. Tweet available HERE.
After spending a year on the International Space Station, eating precooked food, anyone would be excited to dig into a REAL salad. Astronaut Scott Kelly was no exception, and posted about his first salad on Earth after his one-year mission. Learn more about what astronauts eat while in space HERE. Tweet available HERE.
Water is a precious resource in space. Unfortunately, that means that there isn’t a pool on the space station. Luckily, astronaut Scott Kelly was able to jump into some water after his return to Earth. Tweet/video available HERE.
While living on the International Space Station, crew members regularly enjoy their meals together, but do so while floating in microgravity. The comfort of pulling up a chair to the dinner table is something they can only experience once they’re back home on Earth. Tweet available HERE.
When crew members live on the space station they can’t just step outside for a stroll. The only time they go outside the orbiting laboratory is during a spacewalk. Even then, they are confined inside a bulky spacesuit. Experiencing the cool breeze or drops of rain are Earthly luxuries. Tweet available HERE.
The One-Year Mission doesn’t stop now that astronaut Scott Kelly is back on Earth. Follow-up exams and tests will help scientists understand the impacts of microgravity on the human body during long-duration spaceflight. This research will help us on our journey to Mars. Tweet available HERE.
When you spend a year in space, you’ll probably need to catch up on certain things when you return to Earth. Astronaut Scott Kelly made sure to include a visit to the dentist on his “return home checklist”. Tweet available HERE.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Astronaut Daniel T. Barry works outside the International Space Station on May 30, 1999. (NASA)
July 29, 2009: Canadian astronaut Julie Payette aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. (NASA)
Investment in home and community-based care is popular and must be included in #infrastructure. Now it’s up to Congress to get it done. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/04/opinion/elder-care-congress.html #HCBS @nytimes
