Peggy Whitson is known for making headlines. In 2008, she became the first female commander of the International Space Station, a large spacecraft that orbits Earth. Astronauts do experiments there to learn more about living in space. Last September, Whitson finished her third mission on the station. In total, she has spent 665 days in space. That’s more than any other U.S. astronaut in history! Scholastic News recently spoke with Whitson about her out-of-this-world accomplishments.
SN: How did you decide to become an astronaut?
Peggy Whitson: When I was 9 in 1969, I watched the first guys walk on the moon on TV. I remember thinking, “Wow, cool job.” It went from being a dream to a real possibility around the time I graduated high school. That’s when NASA picked the first female astronauts. That made me think, “Hey, maybe I really could become an astronaut.”
SN: How does it feel to have set the U.S. record for the most time in space?
Whitson: People have been living on the space station for 18 years now. It’s a huge honor for me to be part of that. And the science really was fun on this last mission.
SN: What science did you do?
Whitson: We did about 300 investigations! One was seeing how lettuce grew in space. Not only did we collect the leaves for science, but we ate it. Fresh food in orbit is a rare treat.
SN: So are you a scientist as well as an astronaut?
Whitson: NASA astronauts have to be interested in some field of science, math, or engineering. My particular interest is biochemistry. It involves understanding how humans and other living things work.
SN: What did you miss about Earth while in space?
Whitson: Being able to give loved ones a hug is something I think all of us miss. But another thing is favorite foods. On this recent flight, I had pizza on the brain for months!
SN: What’s the best part about being in space?
Whitson: I loved the spacewalks. That’s when an astronaut goes outside the space station wearing a special protective spacesuit. The view of Earth from a spacewalk can’t be beat.
SN: Do you have a message to share with kids?
Whitson: I hope my experience helps them realize that there are a lot of really cool things out there that they can do. You have to work to make your dreams into a reality. You can do more than you think you can.