Who is Peggy Whitson? Know All About the Space Legend to Lead Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla On Axiom 4 Mission

Peggy Whitson, a legendary astronaut, will lead the Axiom-4 space mission as commander, mentoring three astronauts-India's Shubhanshu Shukla, Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungary's Tibor Kapu.

The crew is set to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Dragon rocket from Florida on June 10, 2025, for a two-week stay. Shukla will serve as the mission's pilot and will be the second Indian astronaut to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma's 1984 Soyuz T-11 mission.

With just one day remaining until liftoff, it’s worth revisiting the remarkable story of 65-year-old space pioneer Peggy Whitson.

Who is Peggy Whitson?

With nearly four decades of experience in space exploration, Dr Peggy Whitson is one of the most accomplished astronauts in history. She holds the U.S. record for the most cumulative time spent in space—675 days—and is also the only woman in the world to hold this distinction.

During her time at NASA, Whitson completed two six-month missions and a third mission that lasted nearly a year, all aboard the International Space Station. She was the first woman to command the ISS.

Her 675 cumulative days in space surpass the total logged by Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams, who has spent 608 days in orbit.

Dr. Whitson also holds the record for the most spacewalks conducted by a woman, with 10 extravehicular activities (EVAs) totaling more than 60 hours outside the spacecraft.

Born on February 9, 1960, and raised on a farm near Beaconsfield, Iowa, Whitson holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Rice University. She began working with NASA in 1986 as a research scientist and joined the Johnson Space Center in 1989, where she worked until 1993. Selected for astronaut training in 1996, she became the first female, non-military Chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office and NASA's first ISS Science Officer in 2002—the same year as her first spaceflight.

Whitson retired from NASA in 2018 and joined Axiom Space, a private American aerospace firm, where she currently serves as Director of Human Spaceflight. She also commanded the Axiom-2 mission in 2023, becoming the first woman to lead a private mission to the ISS.

In recognition of her extraordinary contributions, Whitson received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal. Most recently, she was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on May 31, 2025. However, she was unable to attend the ceremony due to being in pre-launch quarantine for the Axiom-4 mission.

Where to Watch Axiom-4 space mission Launch Live:

Live coverage begins at 6:15 a.m. EDT (3:45 p.m. IST)

Available on NASA TV, Axiom Space’s YouTube channel, and SpaceX’s official live stream.

This mission is part of Axiom Space’s ongoing efforts to build the first commercial space station, expected to succeed the ISS within the next decade. 

Also Read: Who is Shubhanshu Shukla: IAF Pilot, First Indian Astronaut to Travel to ISS on Nasa's Axiom Mission