The population of the International Space Station rose to 11 this morning as Iowa native Peggy Whitson and her three crewmates floated through the hatch and were welcomed aboard the orbiting laboratory some 250 miles above the Earth’s surface.
Japanese astronaut and ISS commander Takuya Onishi greeted the visitors: “First of all, Peggy, welcome back,” Onishi said. “It’s a great honor and privilege to have such a legendary astronaut like you on board with us.”
This marks Whitson’s fifth visit to the station, where she’s spent nearly two years of her life, more than any other American. By the time this mission is over, she’ll have added to her spaceflight record with nearly 700 days in orbit. The 11 astronauts now aboard the station represent six different countries.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule ‘Grace’ docked with the ISS. (Axiom Space photo)
“We appreciate being invited in. You guys are exceptional hosts and hopefully you’ll think we’re exceptional guests at the end of a couple of weeks,” Whitson said, laughing. “We’re looking forward to getting a lot of work done with you guys and I really appreciate all the support you’ve provided to us in advance of actually even getting here.”
This is Whitson’s second mission for Axiom Space, a private Houston-based firm which aims to put its own space station into orbit in the next few years. She flew three previous missions for NASA before retiring from the agency in 2018.
It’s the first time in space for Whitson’s three crewmates — who are from India, Hungary and Poland. As is the tradition, she affixed golden shooting star pins to each of their lapels, welcoming them into the astronaut corps.
“The best part about being a commander on a mission with all rookies is you get to watch the rookies go through it for the first time,” Whitson says. “It helps you remember some of the things you went through the first time, but also, it’s just very special to get to relive the experience again through these guys.”
The 65-year-old Whitson, who grew up on a farm near Beaconsfield, will spend about two weeks aboard the station. She and her three-man crew will be conducting about 60 experiments before returning to the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, “Grace,” and heading home.