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Iowan Whitson picked to command space station mission next spring
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, and she posted on Instagram about the upcoming mission on Tuesday.
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.
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.
The space agency has not released a specific date for the launch, only saying it’ll be in the spring of 2025.
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