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NASA's Most Experienced Astronaut Retires, Spent 665 Days In Space (upi.com)

An anonymous reader quotes UPI: After nearly four decades with NASA, including 22 years as an astronaut, Peggy Whitson is leaving the space agency. Her retirement is effective Friday, NASA announced... Whitson ends her career with multiple records to her name, including most time spent in space by a U.S. astronaut -- 665 days...

The 57-year-old Whitson was a scientist before she was an astronaut, earning graduate degrees in biochemistry from Rice University in Houston before coming to conduct research at NASA's Johnson Space Center in 1989. The NASA scientist began training as an astronaut in 1996. She made her first trip to the International Space Station in 2008. During her time in space, including three long-duration stints aboard International Space Station, she helped carry out 21 science investigation and became the agency's first space station science officer... Whitson took a second turn as commander during Expedition 51, part of her most recent -- and last -- stay on the space station, which spanned from November 2016 to September 2017.

2 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. So close... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Almost the most METAL astronaut ever. Just one day off...

  2. 15 goddam mod points ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... and not one fucking comment would make a good wart on a slasdotter's ass.

    Disappointing.

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    Telling, to me, is that I have never heard of her. When someone of her caliber steps out of the dimness into the limelight at the end of her long career, I wonder where she was on the stage.

    Hell, I wonder where I was in the audience.

    Congratulations to her on a job -- not well done -- but very well done

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    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.