Peggy Whitson, NASA biochemist and astronaut, holds records for the most time in space by any American astronaut (534 days), the most spacewalks by any woman astronaut (nine), as well as the oldest woman to travel into space (at 56). She is also the first woman to command the International Space Station (twice, 2008 and 2017), and the first woman to serve as NASA’s Chief Astronaut. And, in 2017, after 289 days, she became the first woman to hold the record for the longest single space flight. During her career she completed two six-month space expeditions, with over 60 hours of EVA time. She retired from NASA in 2018. Growing up on a farm in Southwestern Iowa, she received a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry in 1981 from Iowa Wesleyan College. In 1985, she received a doctorate in biochemistry from Rice University in Houston. Following her graduate work, Dr. Whitson joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Her many early noteworthy NASA assignments included serving on the US-USSR Joint Working Group in Space Medicine and Biology, including co-chairmanship, project scientist for the Shuttle-Mir program, as well as deputy division chief for Medical Sciences. She was also an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and the Department of Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics at the University of Texas. Dr. Whitson was selected as an astronaut candidate in April, 1996. She has received many NASA awards, including three Exceptional Service Medals (1995, 2003, 2006), the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (2006), and two NASA Space Flight Medals (2002, 2008). Dr. Whitson was also a member of the Astronaut Selection board in 2004, and served as board chair in 2009. She has received Distinguished Alumni Awards from both Iowa Wesleyan College and Rice University, was elected to the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame, and received the Russian Medal of Merit for Space.
Inducted in 2018.
Portrait Location: Space Gallery

Induction Video