675 days in Space: All about Peggy Whitson, superwoman Astronaut leading Axiom-4

65-year-old Peggy Whitson, the American astronaut leading the upcoming Axiom-4 mission, has spent a total of 675 days in space so far. After having cumulatively spent 675 days in space over a period of 23 years, she's all set to blast off on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on June 10 for a two-week stay at the International Space Station.

Peggy Whitson holds the record for the most time spent in space cumulatively by an American astronaut and by any woman astronaut globally. Among American astronauts, Sunita Williams is placed second with a cumulative 608 days in space.

From Baconsfield, Iowa to Astronauts Hall of Fame

Born February 9, 1960, in Mt. Ayr, Iowa, Peggy Whitson's hometown is Baconsfield, Iowa, a countryside with a population of less than 20 people. Recalling her upbringing, Whitson said, "The biggest lessons I learnt growing up on a farm were- determination, diligence to get the job done. My parents are the hardest working people I knew, they taught me that work ethic and never to quit."

A Doctorate in Biochemistry from Rice University, Whitson worked in various capacities at NASA’s Johnson Space Center from 1989 to 1993. In April 1996, she was selected as an Astronaut Candidate and started training in August 1996. She had her maiden spaceflight in 2002.

In her stint with NASA, Whitson has completed two six-month missions and a third, nearly one year mission, aboard the International Space Station. In 2018, Whitson retired from NASA and joined the American private firm Axiom Space, where she is presently serving as Director of human spaceflight. Whitson also led the Axiom-2 private spaceflight mission. Whitson's space and science experience: Spanning over 37 years

On May 31st 2025, Peggy Whitson was inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. However, Peggy couldn't attend the event as she was in quarantine ahead of her Axiom-4 spaceflight.

Peggy Whitson's Spaceflight records

On Axiom-2, Whitson became the first female commander of a private space mission, adding to her accomplishments as the first female commander of the International Space Station(ISS), the only woman to serve as ISS commander twice, and the first woman, non-military chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office. During her three previous space missions to the Space Station, she conducted 10 spacewalks, logging over 60 hours. Throughout Whitson’s career, she has contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science. Axiom-4 will be Whitson's fifth mission to the Space Station and the second time that she is leading a commercial mission.

Peggy Whitson is the third person to have flown multiple times on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. By the time she completes the Axiom-4 mission, she will have spent a total of 690 days in space. Whitson also has the distinction of flying on the American Space Shuttle, the Russian Soyuz Capsule, and the SpaceX Crew Dragon, all of which are vehicles that ferry astronauts to and from the Space Station.

About Axiom-4 Mission

Axiom-4 will carry a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station, where they will stay for two weeks and perform 60 experiments. The astronauts would be flying on the SpaceX Falcon9 rocket and the Crew Dragon capsule. Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will lead the Axiom-4 mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot or second-in-command. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

This mission will facilitate the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, given that each nation’s first and only government-sponsored spaceflight had taken place more than 40 years ago. The Ax-4 crew members will represent their nations in Low Earth Orbit and perform scientific experiments and demonstrations that are of high national importance.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian to fly to the International Space Station, and the second Indian to fly to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew on a Soviet Mission in 1984. The Indian Government has paid almost $64mn(Rs.550cr) for Shukla's training and spaceflight as part of Axiom-4.