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Iowan Whitson picked to command space station mission next spring

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September 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa-born astronaut Peggy Whitson is scheduled to command another two-week mission to the International Space Station next year. At 64 years old, Whitson is considered America’s most experienced astronaut. The Beaconsfield native flew on three NASA long-duration space flights and the Axiom 2 Mission in May of last year. She’s spent a total of 675 days in space, more than any other U-S astronaut or woman astronaut in the world.

Peggy Whitson (Axiom photo)

The next Axiom mission, AX-4, will use a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and a Dragon spacecraft, launching from Florida. Whitson’s commanding an international crew of four, with the other three astronauts hailing from India, Poland and Hungary. Axiom says the mission will emphasize scientific research, technology demonstrations, and the commercialization of space.

Axiom has not released a specific date for the launch, only saying it’ll be in the spring of 2025.