Peggy Whitson from Iowa Takes the Helm of Groundbreaking International Space Mission!

Iowa-born and veteran astronaut — serving with NASA for thirty years and more recently as director of human space flight at Axiom Space — Peggy Whitson is once again heading towards the cosmos as the commander of a mission to the International Space Station.

Whitson — who will celebrate her 65th birthday in February — is set to lead a team of four astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary on a mission slated to launch “no sooner than spring 2025,” according to Axiom Space based in Houston.

The mission — designated Ax-4 — will signify the first government-funded human spaceflight in over four decades for the other three countries represented on the crew, which has been training for this venture alongside NASA, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation.

“While Ax-4 signifies these nations’ second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the inaugural occasion that all three countries execute a mission on the International Space Station,” stated Axiom. “This momentous endeavor exemplifies how Axiom Space is transforming the approach to low-Earth orbit and enhancing national space programs worldwide.”

Even though crew members are awaiting formal authorization to travel to the International Space Station from NASA and its partners, including the Russian Space Agency, Japanese Space Agency, European Space Agency, and Canadian Space Agency, Axiom has indicated the 2025 mission expects to dock for two weeks at the space station.

During their stay, the crew will conduct research, showcase technology demonstrations, and explore the “commercialization of space.” The mission also aims to “encourage cooperation by sharing knowledge, resources, and opportunities with our allies, solidifying these nations’ roles as leaders in the expanding space community.”

The Ax-4 mission will represent Whitson’s second commercial human spaceflight with Axiom — following her 665 days spent in space with NASA, where she worked from 1989 to 2018 as a research biochemist, project scientist, division chief, astronaut, commander, and ultimately NASA’s chief of the Astronaut Office, among other positions.

After retiring from NASA, she joined Axiom, and in May 2023, commanded Axiom 2 during its launch from Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station — where it docked for eight days before returning to the Gulf of Mexico.

“I am eager to command my second commercial human spaceflight mission with Axiom Space,” Whitson remarked in a statement, underlining the objective of enhancing international cooperation. “Our prior missions laid the groundwork. Axiom Mission 1 was the pioneer all-private mission to the space station; Axiom Mission 2 saw the first Saudi female journey to space; and Axiom Mission 3 featured both the inaugural Turkish astronaut and the first (European Space Agency) astronaut to participate in a commercial space endeavor.

“Now, with Ax-4, we rise even higher, inviting even more nations to low-Earth orbit and broadening humanity’s presence among the stars.”

‘More than any other’

Whitson grew up on a farm located near Beaconsfield in the 1960s, revealing to The Gazette in 2021 that she was motivated to pursue a career as an astronaut at the age of 9 after witnessing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin make history with their moon landing in 1969.

Ten years later, she started selling chickens for $2 each to finance her flying lessons. After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College and a doctorate from Rice University in 1986, Whitson commenced her career at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996, she became part of NASA’s Expedition 5 team in the summer of 2002, spending six months docked at the International Space Station. During that mission, Whitson was appointed the first NASA science officer, overseeing 21 experiments and recording 184 days in space.

Her second journey aboard Expedition 16, which launched in October 2007, included multiple spacewalks — elevating her total time spent outside a spacecraft to nearly 40 hours. On her third expedition, launching in November 2016, Whitson set a record for the most cumulative time in space by any NASA astronaut — resulting in a call from then-President Donald Trump.

She returned from her final NASA mission in September 2017 and transitioned to Axiom — initially serving as a consultant — after her NASA retirement.

With her inaugural Axiom mission, Whitson became the first female commander of a private space mission — in addition to her achievements as the first female commander of the International Space Station; the only woman to command it twice; and the first female, non-military head of NASA’s Astronaut Office.

Overall, Whitson has amassed a total of 675 days in space, surpassing any other American astronaut or woman globally.

The Ax-4 crew is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.

‘Hopefully have some influence’

As the keynote speaker for The Gazette’s annual Iowa Ideas conference in 2021, Whitson had not yet helmed her first commercial space mission aboard Ax-2 and expressed uncertainty about her chances of doing so.

“I truly didn’t expect the commercial sector would rebound quickly enough for me to have further flight opportunities,” Whitson mentioned, indicating that she had reached the limit for radiation exposure with NASA, preventing her from accruing additional flight time.

“So this is really the cherry on top,” she remarked to The Gazette referring to her forthcoming commercial journey at that time.

Navigating the new realm of commercial space travel, Whitson emphasized the necessity of being prepared for the unexpected.

“We undergo training in various scenarios,” she stated. “We encounter every type of malfunction and failure presented to us during our time at the International Space Station. Thus, we practice dealing with fires, depressurization, and toxic atmospheres — all conditions we would prefer to avoid.”

“However, by completing enough training and grasping your roles, you understand your capabilities, which instills a sense of assurance that if an unfortunate event occurs, at least I would know what actions I need to take,” she explained.

Looking ahead, Whitson noted in 2021 that the commercial aspect of space travel is only just beginning — and she is thrilled to be at the forefront of it.

“Numerous new opportunities are emerging in space, and I view this as analogous to the shift from barnstorming to commercial aviation,” she expressed. “We are currently in that transitional phase. I find it incredibly exhilarating to be part of that, witnessing this evolution, and hopefully having some impact.”

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com