A trained biochemist and America’s most experienced astronaut, 64-year-old Dr Peggy Annette Whitson, is the designated Commander of the Axiom-4 mission on which Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, 39, is likely to fly to the International Space Station in early 2025.
Dr Whitson is a veteran of four flights to space and while she retired as a NASA astronaut in 2018, she now works for Axiom Space, a Houston-based private space company, where she is the director of the human space flight programme. Apart from Ms Whitson, Group Captain Shukla will have a Polish and a Hungarian astronaut for company in the Crew Dragon spacecraft when he flies to the International Space Station.
Axiom Space has been contracted by NASA for the mission and it describes Dr Whitson as “America’s most experienced astronaut, who flew on three NASA long-duration space flights and Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), accumulating 675 days in space, more than any other American astronaut or woman astronaut in the world.”
Group Captain Shukla could not be in safer hands because, according to Axiom Space, “Dr Whitson has over 38 years of space and science experience with NASA and Axiom Space. Throughout her career, Dr Whitson has held various positions, including NASA’s chief of the Astronaut Office, two-time commander of the International Space Station (ISS), chair of NASA’s Astronaut Selection Board, chief of NASA’s Operations Branch, and deputy division chief for both NASA’s Medical Sciences and the Astronaut Office.”
A specialist in spacewalks or extra-vehicular activity, Dr Whitson has participated in 10 spacewalks, logging over 60 hours in open space. The earlier record for the maximum spacewalks – seven – was held by Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, who has spent 50 hours and 40 minutes in open space. She is currently at the International Space Station, waiting for glitches on the Boeing Starliner to be fixed so that she can return to Earth.
Dr Whitson has contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science. Axiom Space says she grew up on a farm outside the town of Beaconsfield, Iowa, with her siblings and parents. Born to farmers, she decided to become an astronaut after she watched the first Moon landing on television as a child in 1969.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Poland, Dr Whitson is designated the mission commander. Slawosz Uznanski from Poland, who is a European Space Agency astronaut, will be a mission specialist as will Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, while Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be the mission pilot.
Dr Whitson and Group Captain Shukla may work in tandem since ISRO says that, during the mission, the Gaganyatri will undertake selected scientific research and technology demonstration experiments on board the International Space Station as well as engage in space outreach activities.
