Peggy Whitson is a retired NASA astronaut and a former NASA Chief Astronaut. She is also a biochemistry researcher. Although she had been working with NASA since 1989 in various biochemistry-related positions, her first space mission was in 2002 as a member of Expedition 5 onboard the International Space Station.

In 2007, Whitson became the first female commander of the International Space Station. Currently, Whitson holds several records, including oldest woman ever in space and longest single space flight by a woman. When Whitson retired from NASA on June 15, 2018, she was NASA’s most experienced astronaut to date, having accrued 665 days in space.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/Chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College, as well as a Doctorate in Biochemistry from Rice University.

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