Prime News Ghana

Astronaut Peggy Whitson breaks new space record

By Clement Edward Kumsah
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Peggy Whitson has broken the record for most days in space by a US astronaut.

Dr Whitson already holds records for the most spacewalks carried out by a woman astronaut and is the first woman to command the International Space Station (ISS) twice.

Now she's beaten the record previously set by Jeff Williams, who had a total of 534 days in space.
It's thought President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka will call Dr Whitson on Monday to congratulate her.

Earlier this month, Nasa astronaut Shane Kimbrough turned command of the ISS over to Dr Whitson.
"She will set another record at this moment," he said at the time.

"She now becomes the first two-time female commander of the International Space Station.
"The Space Station is in great hands with Peggy."

At 57, she is also the oldest woman to have gone to space.
Dr Whitson already holds the record for longest time spent in space by a woman.

Born in Iowa, she has an advanced degree in biochemistry and worked for Nasa in several prominent medical science and research positions, before being selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996.

She first went into space in 2002 and became the first woman to command the ISS in 2007.

Credit: Bbc