NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is seen during an interview, Friday, March 2, 2018 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Whitson spent 288 days onboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 50, 51, and 52, conducting four spacewalks and contributing to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science during her stay. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is seen during an interview, Friday, March 2, 2018 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Whitson spent 288 days onboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 50, 51, and 52, conducting four spacewalks and contributing to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science during her stay. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson tapes a segment for STEM in 30 with Marty Kelsey, left, and Beth Wilson, Friday, March 2, 2018 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Whitson spent 288 days onboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 50, 51, and 52, conducting four spacewalks and contributing to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science during her stay. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson tapes a segment for STEM in 30 with Marty Kelsey, left, and Beth Wilson, Friday, March 2, 2018 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Whitson spent 288 days onboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 50, 51, and 52, conducting four spacewalks and contributing to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science during her stay. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is interviewed by Marty Kelsey, Friday, March 2, 2018 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Whitson spent 288 days onboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 50, 51, and 52, conducting four spacewalks and contributing to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science during her stay. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

JSC2001-03044 (28 November 2001) --- Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, mission specialist.

iss050e053302 (Feb. 28, 2017) --- Peggy Whitson, Expedition 50 Flight Engineer, works on an experiment inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox inside the U.S. Destiny laboratory module.

ISS005-E-21040 (21 November 2002) --- Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five NASA ISS science officer, floats in the Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS).

iss073e0252488 (June 28, 2025) --- Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) Commander Peggy Whitson from the U.S. configures research hardware aboard the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module.

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson is helped out of a helicopter after landing in northern Kazakhstan, Friday, April 19, 2008. Whitson, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and South Korean spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi landed their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft in central Kazakhstan to complete 192 days in space for Whitson and Malenchenko and 11 days in orbit for Yi. Photo Credit: (NASA/Reuters/Pool)

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson is helped out of a helicopter after landing in northern Kazakhstan, Friday, April 19, 2008. Whitson, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and South Korean spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi landed their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft in central Kazakhstan to complete 192 days in space for Whitson and Malenchenko and 11 days in orbit for Yi. Photo Credit: (NASA/Reuters/Pool)

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson waves to a crowd of well-wishers from the top of the airplane steps as she arrives at Chkalovsky Airport near Star City, Russia along with Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and South Korean spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi, Friday, April 19, 2008. Whitson, Malechenko and Yi landed their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft in central Kazakhstan to complete 192 days in space for Whitson and Malenchenko and 11 days in orbit for Yi. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

iss050e036008 (1/27/2017) --- NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, and Cosmonaut Andrei Borisenko setting up cameras and performing Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Zero Robotics tests, in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Pressurized Module (JPM).

iss051e051923 (5/03/2017) --- NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson poses with cabbage plants in the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) bellows in the Harmony Node 2. Image was taken during final harvesting operations (OPS) for the Veg-03 experiment.

NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson plants a tree during a ceremony where she and Russian Cosmonauts Gennady Padalka, and Valery Korzun were recognized for their achievements in space flight on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 in Jhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Padalka, Whitson, and Korzun were in Jhezkazgan in preparation for the Expedition 24 Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft landing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Russian Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, left, NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson, center, and Russian Cosmonaut Valery Korzun are seen in traditional Kazakh dress during a ceremony where they were recognized for their achievements in space flight on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 in Jhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Padalka, Whitson, and Korzun were in Jhezkazgan in preparation for the Expedition 24 Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft landing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson poses for a photograph being taken by Russian Cosmonaut Valery Korzun during a ceremony where the two and Russian Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka were recognized for their achievements in space flight on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 in Jhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Padalka, Whitson, and Korzun were in Jhezkazgan in preparation for the Expedition 24 Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft landing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A Kazakh singer performs during a ceremony in which NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson, and Russian Cosmonauts Valery Korzun and Gennady Padalka were recognized for their achievements in space flight on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 in Jhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Whitson, Korzun and Padalka were in Jhezkazgan in preparation for the Expedition 24 Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft landing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ISS005-E-21031 (21 November 2002) --- Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five NASA ISS science officer, floats near an upper portion of an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit stored in the Quest Airlock on the International Space Station (ISS).

ISS005-E-21029 (21 November 2002) --- Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five NASA ISS science officer, floats near an upper portion of an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit stored in the Quest Airlock on the International Space Station (ISS).

Expedition 50 crew member NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is seen inside an International Space Station module mockup during her crew's Soyuz qualification exams, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 16 Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, second from left, and Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson meet with Russian officials at the foot of the airplane steps after they arrived at Chkalovsky Airport near Star City, Russia, Friday, April 19, 2008. Whitson, Malechenko and Yi landed their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft on April 19, 2008 in central Kazakhstan to complete 192 days in space for Whitson and Malenchenko and 11 days in orbit for Yi. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, bottom, South Korean spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi and Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, top, walk down the airplane steps as they arrive at Chkalovsky Airport near Star City, Russia, Friday, April 19, 2008. Whitson, Malechenko and Yi landed their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft on April 19, 2008 in central Kazakhstan to complete 192 days in space for Whitson and Malenchenko and 11 days in orbit for Yi. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson listens during the State Commission meeting and press conference, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2007, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Expedition 16 crew is in preparation for their launch to the International Space Station Oct. 10 in their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft. Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko will spend six months on the station while spacelfight participant Sheikh Muszhaphar Shukor will return to Earth Oct. 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"

iss050e037908 (2/2/2017) --- NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and European Space Agency (ESA) Thomas Pesquet in the Bigelow Expandable Aerospace Module (BEAM). The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is an experimental expandable capsule that docks with the International Space Station (ISS). After docking, BEAM inflates to roughly 13 feet long and 10.5 feet in diameter to provide a habitable volume where a crew member can enter.

iss050e011454 (11/23/2016) --- A view of NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson using an iPAD containing the Dose Tracker application, in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This study documents the medication usage of crew members before and during their missions by capturing previously unrecorded data regarding medication use during spaceflight, including side effect qualities, frequencies and severity. This research-oriented data is collected for research purposes, separate from medical records.

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson dons her flight suit prior to launch, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 16 Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, Whitson, and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at sunset n their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft bound for a docking to the International Space Station on Oct. 12. Whitson and Malenchenko will spend six months on the station, while Shukor will return to Earth Oct. 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson dons her flight suit prior to launch, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Expedition 16 Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, Whitson, and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at sunset n their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft bound for a docking to the International Space Station on Oct. 12. Whitson and Malenchenko will spend six months on the station, while Shukor will return to Earth Oct. 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet pose for a group photograph at the conclusion of a press conference, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

iss073e0284872 (July 12, 2025) --- (From left) Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA helps Axiom Mission 4 Commander Peggy Whitson from Axiom Space pack frozen research samples aboard the International Space Station before loading them inside the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft for return to Earth.

iss073e0284809 (July 12, 2025) --- (From left) Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA helps Axiom Mission 4 Commander Peggy Whitson from Axiom Space pack frozen research samples aboard the International Space Station before loading them inside the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft for return to Earth.

iss073e0252954 (June 28, 2025) --- Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) Commander and veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson assists Ax-4 Mission Specialist Shubhanshu Shukla from ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) during his research work inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module. Shukla was using Kibo's Life Science Glovebox studying how to improve muscle regeneration in microgravity and maintain a crew member's muscle health during spaceflight.

iss073e0251619 (June 26, 2025) --- Axiom Mission 4 crew members Peggy Whitson (foreground) from Axiom Space and Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from ESA (European Space Agency) work inside the International Space Station's Columbus laboratory module. The private astronaut duo swapped research hardware supporting the Space Volcanic Algae biotechnology study and the Experiment Cube #25 data processing and algorithm investigation.

Expedition 9 Flight Engineer Michael Fincke is interviewed by former Expedition 5 Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson for the video phone after the successful landing in the Soyuz spacecraft with fellow crew members Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and Russian Space Forces cosmonaut Yuri Shargin. The crew landed in their Soyuz capsule approximately 85 kilometers northeast of Arkalyk in northern Kazakhstan, Sunday, October 24, 2004. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

iss051e050849 (5/26/2017) --- NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer work to install a Gas Supply Hose Assembly and Gas Bottle Unit Air in the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) in the Kibo Japanese Experiment Pressurized Module (JPM) aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in supprt of the Passive Thermal Flight Experiment.The Advanced Passive Thermal eXperiment (APTx) tests three advanced thermal management technologies. It demonstrates the in-space performance of each, an important step toward improving these technologies for use on future space exploration missions.

iss051e050850 (5/26/2017) --- NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer work to install a Gas Supply Hose Assembly and Gas Bottle Unit Air in the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) in the Kibo Japanese Experiment Pressurized Module (JPM) aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in supprt of the Passive Thermal Flight Experiment.The Advanced Passive Thermal eXperiment (APTx) tests three advanced thermal management technologies. It demonstrates the in-space performance of each, an important step toward improving these technologies for use on future space exploration missions.

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, right, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko participate in the traditional blessing prior to joining Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor for the bus ride to building 254 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome where the crew don their spacesuits, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, in Baikonur. The crew is set to launch at sunset in their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft bound for a docking to the International Space Station on October 12. Whitson and Malenchenko will spend six months on the station, while Shukor will return to Earth October 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 27 Flight Engineer Cady Coleman signs the inside of her helicopter as NASA Chief of the Astronaut Office, Peggy Whitson looks on shortly after Coleman and Commander Dmitry Kondratyev and Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli landed in their Soyuz TMA-20 southeast of the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, May 24, 2011. NASA Astronaut Coleman, Russian Cosmonaut Kondratyev and Italian Astronaut Nespoli are returning from more than five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 26 and 27 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ESA Flight Surgeon Dr. Brigitte Godard, seated left, NASA Flight ‎Surgeon Jennifer Law, center, talk with Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson ahead of the final qualification exams with Whitson and her fellow crew mates Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet prepare for their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet prepare for their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson tour the museum at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC), Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet are monitored in a central room during the crew's Soyuz qualification exams, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet meet with mission managers ahead of their Soyuz qualification exams, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson smiles as she listens to a reporter's question ahead of the final qualification exams with fellow crew mates Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet visit Red Square to lay roses at the site where Russian space icons are interred as part of traditional pre-launch ceremonies, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, in Moscow. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet are seen ahead of their Soyuz qualification exams, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson are seen on the monitors of the Soyuz simulator control room during final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson dons her Sokol suit ahead of her final qualification exams with fellow crew mates Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is seen after donning her Sokol suit ahead of her final qualification exams with fellow crew mates Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet visit Red Square to lay roses at the site where Russian space icons are interred as part of traditional pre-launch ceremonies, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, in Moscow. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson dons her Sokol suit ahead of her final qualification exams with fellow crew mates Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson dons her Sokol suit ahead of her final qualification exams with fellow crew mates Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, right, adjusts the mirror on her Russian sokol suit, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, center, and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor are seen next to her. The three launched at sunset Oct. 10 in their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft bound for a docking to the International Space Station on Oct. 12. Whitson and Malenchenko will spend six months on the station, while Shukor will return to Earth Oct. 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 16 backup Commander Michael Fincke, right, photographs Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, left, shortly before they and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007. Their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft will dock to the International Space Station on Oct. 12. Whitson and Malenchenko will spend six months on the station, while Shukor will return to Earth Oct. 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, right, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszhaphar Shukor give the thumbs up during the State Commission meeting and press conference, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2007, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The crew is in preparation for their launch to the International Space Station Oct. 10 in their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft. Whitson and Malenchenko will spend six months on the station while Shukor will return to Earth Oct. 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, right, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszhaphar Shukor, left, board the crew bus that will take them from the Cosmonaut hotel to building 254 where they will don their flight suits at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007. The crew launched at sunset in their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft bound for a docking to the International Space Station on Oct. 12. Whitson and Malenchenko will spend six months on the station, while Shukor will return to Earth Oct. 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, left sitting, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, right sitting, don their flight suits prior to launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007. The three launched at sunset in their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft bound for a docking to the International Space Station on Oct. 12. Whitson and Malenchenko will spend six months on the station, while Shukor will return to Earth Oct. 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex. Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszhaphar Shukor are protected behind glass during the State Commission meeting and press conference, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2007, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The crew is in preparation for their launch to the International Space Station Oct. 10 in their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft. Whitson and Malenchenko will spend six months on the station while Shukor will return to Earth Oct. 21 with two of the Expedition 15 crewmembers currently on the complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"

iss073e0252485 (June 28, 2025) --- Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Jonny Kim from NASA and Axiom Mission 4 Commander Peggy Whitson work together inside the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module setting up research hardware to culture patient-derived cancer cells, model their growth in microgravity, and test a state-of-the-art fluorescence microscope. Results may lead to earlier cancer detection methods, development of advanced cancer treatments, and promote future stem cell research in space.

Expedition 29 Commander Mike Fossum, right, tosses his hat into the air and comments to Peggy Whitson, NASA Chief of the Astronaut Office, about how strange the effects of gravity feel as they land in a helicopter in Kustanay, Kazakhstan just a few hours after he and Expedition 29 Flight Engineers Sergei Volkov and Satoshi Furukawa landed in their Soyuz TMA-02M capsule in a remote area outside of the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. NASA Astronaut Fossum, Russian Cosmonaut Volkov and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Astronaut Furukawa are returning from more than five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 28 and 29 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Chief, Astronaut Office, Johnson Space Center Peggy Whitson deals cards during a traditional game that is played at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Operations and Checkout Building with the shuttle crew prior to them leaving for the launch pad, on Friday, July 8, 2011 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The point of the game is that the commander must use up all his or her bad luck before launch, so the crew can only leave for the pad after the commander loses. The launch of Atlantis, STS-135, is the final flight of the shuttle program, a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jerry Ross)

Expedition 24 Flight Engineer Tracy Caldwell Dyson shakes hands with NASA Astronaut and Chief of the Astronaut Office Peggy Whitson shortly after landing in the Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft with fellow crew members Commander Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010. Russian Cosmonauts Skvortsov and Kornienko and NASA Astronaut Caldwell Dyson, are returning from six months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 23 and 24 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 28 Flight Engineer Mike Fossum, right, has his Russian Sokol suit checked by Peggy Whitson, Chief of the Astronaut Office at Johonson Space Center, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Tuesday, June 7, 2011. Fossum and fellow Expedition 28 crew members Soyuz Commander Sergei Volkov and JAXA (Japanase Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa launched in their Soyuz TMA-02M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan the following morning on June 8th. Photo Credit: (NASA/Roscosmos/Andrey Shelepin)

Expedition 27 Flight Engineer Cady Coleman, center, is helped out of a Russian all terrain vehicle (ATV) by NASA Chief of the Astronaut Office, Peggy Whitson and directed to the helicopter by NASA Flight Surgeon Steve Hart, left, shortly after she and Commander Dmitry Kondratyev and Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli landed in their Soyuz TMA-20 southeast of the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, May 24, 2011. NASA Astronaut Coleman, Russian Cosmonaut Kondratyev and Italian Astronaut Nespoli are returning from more than five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 26 and 27 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson report to mission managers for their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet report to mission managers for their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet walk out from suitup for their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson answer reporter's questions ahead of their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet laugh together as they prepare for their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson answers a reporter's question as Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos looks on, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Whitman, Novitskiy and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet performed their final qualification exams right after talking to the press. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet pose for a group photograph ahead of their Soyuz qualification exams, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson answer reporter's questions ahead of their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet report to mission managers for their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet pose for a portrait ahead of their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet pose for a portrait ahead of their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 50 crew members ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson pose for a group photograph ahead of their final qualification exams, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Chief of the Astronaut Office Peggy Whitson, right, walks with STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson as he prepares to board the astrovan at the NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) shortly after he and the rest of the STS-135 crew landed in space shuttle Atlantis, completing a 13-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, early Thursday morning, July 21, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Overall, Atlantis spent 307 days in space and traveled nearly 126 million miles during its 33 flights. Atlantis, the fourth orbiter built, launched on its first mission on Oct. 3, 1985. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Chief, Astronaut Office, Johnson Space Center Peggy Whitson, center, STS-135 Astronauts, Rex Walheim, left, and Commander Chris Ferguson are seen as the entire crew plays a traditional card game at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Operations and Checkout Building prior to them leaving for the launch pad, on Friday, July 8, 2011 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The point of the game is that the commander must use up all his or her bad luck before launch, so the crew can only leave for the pad after the commander loses. The launch of Atlantis, STS-135, is the final flight of the shuttle program, a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jerry Ross)

Expedition 23 Flight Engineer T.J. Creamer, center, is assisted by NASA Flight Surgeon Pete Bauer, left, and Chief NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson from a Russian Search and Recovery all terrain vehicle to his helicopter shortly after he and fellow crew members Soichi Noguchi and Commander Oleg Kotov landed in their Soyuz TMA-17 capsule near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, June 2, 2010. NASA Astronaut Creamer, Russian Cosmonaut Kotov and Japanese Astronaut Noguchi are returning from six months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 22 and 23 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, right, having donned his Russian Sokol suit at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, takes a moment to talk with Expedition 14 backup crew member Peggy Whitson, Monday, Sept. 18, 2006, in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 10:09 a.m. local time carrying Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, Soyuz Commander and Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin and American spaceflight participant Anousheh Ansari, who will spend nine days on the International Space Station under a commercial agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

At the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 48-49 backup crewmember Peggy Whitson of NASA waters a tree in her name first planted in 2007 during traditional pre-launch activities June 30. Whitson is one of three backups to the prime crewmembers, Kate Rubins of NASA, Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, who will launch July 7, Baikonur time, on the Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft for a planned four-month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Alexander Vysotsky

nhq201611170001 (Nov. 17, 2016) --- Expedition 50 crewmembers ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, top, NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, middle, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos wave farewell before boarding their Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft for launch Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, (Kazakh Time) in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The trio will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan the morning of November 18 (Kazakh time.) All three will spend approximately six months on the orbital complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks before President Donald Trump signs Space Policy Directive - 1, directing NASA to return to the moon, alongside President Donald Trump. left, Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot, second left, NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, third from left, NASA astronaut Christina Koch, right, and members of the Senate, Congress, and commercial space companies in the Roosevelt room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

iss052e009298 (Junr 28, 2017) --- Astronaut Peggy Whitson was pictured June 28 conducting a live video interview with reporters on Earth.

iss052e027048 (Aug. 4, 2017) --- Astronaut Peggy Whitson works on the Combustion Integrated Rack in the U.S. Destiny laboratory module.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TX -- (JSC2001-03044) --Official Portrait of astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five flight engineer.

JSC2016e058961 (05/13/2016) --- Official Photograph of NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson of Expedition 50.

iss052e006299 (June 22, 2017) --- Astronaut Peggy Whitson floats inside Japan’s Kibo laboratory module.

iss052e008849 (June 28, 2017) --- NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson works on a science experiment in the Harmony module.

NASA Chief of the Astronaut Office Peggy Whitson, left, STS-135 mission Pilot Doug Hurley, second from left, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, and Deputy Chief of Flight Crew Operations Directorate Brian Kelly, right, talk under the space shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) shortly after Hurley and the rest of the STS-135 crew landed in Atlantis early Thursday morning, July 21, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Overall, Atlantis spent 307 days in space and traveled nearly 126 million miles during its 33 flights. Atlantis, the fourth orbiter built, launched on its first mission on Oct. 3, 1985. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ISS016-E-026869 (3 Feb. 2008) --- Astronaut Peggy Whitson, Expedition 16 commander, floats in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.

ISS005-E-15406 (23 September 2002) --- Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five flight engineer, works in the Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS).

ISS016-E-027923 (1 Feb. 2008) --- Astronaut Peggy Whitson, Expedition 16 commander, prepares a beverage in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station.

iss052e004180 (6/19/2017) --- Photo of NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson performing change out of Imaging Unit on the Bone Densitometer (BD) located in Node 2.

iss052e002382 (June 3, 2017) --- NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer are pictured packing up gear inside the International Space Station.

ISS005-E-16538 (9 October 2002) --- Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five flight engineer, works in the Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS).

ISS016-E-026845 (3 Feb. 2008) --- Astronaut Peggy Whitson, Expedition 16 commander, works in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.

iss052e023844 (Aug. 1, 2017) --- Astronauts Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer work on station systems inside Japan’s Kibo laboratory module.

ISS016-E-017357 (17 Dec. 2007) --- Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition 16 commander, works in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.