Whitson returns home with even more records to her name

One of the most decorated astronauts of all time returned home earlier this month after her third mission to space in the past 15 years.

Peggy Whitson, a Beaconsfield native, landed on a Sunday morning in Kazakhstan with countless new records under her belt.

The 1978 Mount Ayr Community High School graduate set the record for most cumulative days in space back in late April – and with the extension of her mission, shattered that record before coming back down to Earth.

The final count sits over 600 days – 665 to be exact – and is 130 days more than her next closest countrymen.

Whitson doesn't like to discuss the records. She prefers to promote NASA's space program and continues to encourage more advanced development of space exploration. She seems humbled by the feats, but answers almost every question she is asked about them with a similar answer.

That answer always falls along the lines of, essentially, records are meant to be broken.

That, from the sound of it includes her own.

Aptly nicknamed the "American Space Ninja," Whitson continues to voice her opinion about wanting research to continue to evolve so that more space adventures are possible for future astronauts. Missions that – as science continues to evolve – would most likely become longer and further-reaching.

Her most recent mission is the seventh longest space flight ever. While up in the cosmos, Whitson also set records as the oldest woman in space and the most spacewalks by a woman. She also became the first woman to command the International Space Station twice after becoming the first woman to command the International Space Station on her second spaceflight back in 2008.

According to many of her colleagues, the records are overshadowed by her work ethic and love of what she does. Whitson credits a lot of that work ethic to her parents and growing up on a farm.

"I think being raised on a farm you learn a lot about dedication and work ethic," said Whitson. "You get a healthy dose of stubborn to go along with it and that gets a lot of jobs done that might otherwise seem impossible. And watching my parents do things you had to, you just had to figure out a way to fix it, make it happen. That was part of how I grew up."

She was also involved with the 4-H program while growing up in Beaconsfield.

“In order to find your limits, it is necessary to step beyond your ‘comfort zone,’ and try new and challenging things. It just might inspire you,” said Whitson. “The 4-H program is one way young people can practice expanding their experiences, knowledge and skills.”

Former astronauts and employees of NASA's space programs have continuously admitted that Whitson has accomplished scientific studies at speeds unseen by other astronauts.

Fellow astronaut, Jack Fischer who returned with Whitson from his first space, flight talked about how helpful it was to have someone with Whitson's experience.

"You know, being able to go outside with Ms. Ninja herself is nice because you're able to really adapt to whatever the situation is," said Fischer about spacewalking.

Whitson has been involved in revolutionary studies while in space. Her work ranged from bone cell studies to plant growth to human research.

The 2011 Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame Inductee also experimented with growing soybeans while floating beyond the Earth's orbit. Plants do not need gravity to grow, but the space bean project allowed scientists to see how plants were affected growing in a cosmic environment.

As for food in space, Whitson noted after landing, "it's all about the sauce." Food in space has surpassed what it once was, but options for creativity are limited without any way to keep produce fresh aboard the space craft.

Background

Whitson began working for NASA in 1989. The 57-year-old holds a doctorate in biochemistry from Rice University in Houston, Texas, that she received in 1985. Four years prior, she received a science degree in biology and chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant.

During her time at Rice, Whitson met her husband Dr. Clarence F. Sams, who also went on – and continues – to work at NASA. The two have been married for more than 28 years.

Whitson's first experience in space came in 2002 when her first mission, Expedition 5, launched in June. She logged more than 184 days in space during her first orbit.

Less than five years later, Whitson joined Expedition 16, launching her into space for another 191 days.

Her most recent expedition added 289 more days to her space exploring resume. Whitson officially broke the record for most cumulative days in space by an American back in April.

Though she admits it dates her, Whitson says her first memory of wanting to be an astronaut came when she was 9 years old seeing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the moon.

After Landing

Following her return to the United States, Whitson and the other American astronaut she landed with are currently going through a 45-day debriefing period.

Whitson and Fischer were only made available to the public for a one-hour press conference just a few days after returning back home.

As for what's next for the American with the most time ever spent in space, that is still unknown.

At 57, Whitson hasn't ruled out a return to outer space, but acknowledged it's likeliness isn't as great as it once was.

As for her upbeat attitude, one of Whitson's first comments on returning home was a chance to eat pizza and "flush toilets."

She followed with a jovial, brief description, "Trust me, you don't want to know the details."

The Space Ninja admits she will continue to work with NASA and other astronauts to help the spaceflight team.

When asked what she will miss the most about space travel, Whitson responded with one word.

"Floating."

Quite a few of Whitson's space experiences were documented and released on her Twitter account, @AstroPeggy.

There, followers could find photos of her looking at some of the views space had to offer, explaining how astronauts worked out in order to keep muscle mass and celebrating holidays such as Fourth of July.

Without exercising up to two hours per day, astronauts would lose their muscle mass due to the lack of gravity.

One of her final posts on social media involved her explaining the multi-modal ARED machine and all the different exercises it allows astronauts to do.

More information on what's next for Whitson will become known after her debriefing period.

But, it's hard to imagine someone with a space resume as long as Whitson's working anywhere else than with the program the Space Ninja joined back in 1989.