NASA's senior astronaut Don Pettit to embark on 4th journey to space on September 11
Pettit, whose assignment was announced in May, brings extensive spaceflight experience, accumulating a total of 370 days in orbit across his previous missions
- Jun 27, 2024,
- Updated Jun 27, 2024 5:26 PM IST
NASA's veteran astronaut Don Pettit, aged 69, is gearing up for his fourth space mission aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft, scheduled for launch on September 11. This mission, led by Russia's Roscosmos, will also carry Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner to the International Space Station (ISS).
Pettit, whose assignment was announced in May, brings extensive spaceflight experience, accumulating a total of 370 days in orbit across his previous missions. His past expeditions include Expedition 6 in 2003, the short-duration space shuttle mission STS-126 in 2008, and Expedition 30/31 in 2012.
The upcoming Soyuz MS-26 launch marks Ovchinin's third spaceflight and Vagner's second, highlighting their significant roles in this mission.
Pettit's space career has been marked by notable achievements, including some unexpected challenges. During Expedition 6, launched aboard space shuttle Endeavour in 2002, the mission was extended due to the tragic loss of the space shuttle Columbia during reentry in 2003. This incident led to a grounding of NASA's shuttle fleet for two years while investigations and safety improvements were undertaken.
Despite the challenges, Pettit and his crew safely returned to Earth on the Russian Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft in May 2003, albeit with an unusual landing experience that placed them 250 miles off course due to a guidance system fault.
Selected by NASA in 1993, Pettit has contributed significantly to space exploration, including conducting two spacewalks totaling over 13 hours and installing critical ISS systems. He notably captured SpaceX's cargo Dragon spacecraft using the Canadarm2 robotic arm in 2012, among other achievements such as developing a zero-G coffee cup and documenting celestial events from space.
While Pettit is NASA's oldest active astronaut, his upcoming mission underscores NASA's commitment to utilizing experienced astronauts for critical ISS missions. His return to space at this stage of his career mirrors a broader trend of seasoned astronauts continuing to play pivotal roles in human spaceflight.
This mission also reflects ongoing international cooperation in space exploration, with Pettit and his crew preparing to contribute to scientific research and operations aboard the ISS during their six-month stay.
NASA's veteran astronaut Don Pettit, aged 69, is gearing up for his fourth space mission aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft, scheduled for launch on September 11. This mission, led by Russia's Roscosmos, will also carry Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner to the International Space Station (ISS).
Pettit, whose assignment was announced in May, brings extensive spaceflight experience, accumulating a total of 370 days in orbit across his previous missions. His past expeditions include Expedition 6 in 2003, the short-duration space shuttle mission STS-126 in 2008, and Expedition 30/31 in 2012.
The upcoming Soyuz MS-26 launch marks Ovchinin's third spaceflight and Vagner's second, highlighting their significant roles in this mission.
Pettit's space career has been marked by notable achievements, including some unexpected challenges. During Expedition 6, launched aboard space shuttle Endeavour in 2002, the mission was extended due to the tragic loss of the space shuttle Columbia during reentry in 2003. This incident led to a grounding of NASA's shuttle fleet for two years while investigations and safety improvements were undertaken.
Despite the challenges, Pettit and his crew safely returned to Earth on the Russian Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft in May 2003, albeit with an unusual landing experience that placed them 250 miles off course due to a guidance system fault.
Selected by NASA in 1993, Pettit has contributed significantly to space exploration, including conducting two spacewalks totaling over 13 hours and installing critical ISS systems. He notably captured SpaceX's cargo Dragon spacecraft using the Canadarm2 robotic arm in 2012, among other achievements such as developing a zero-G coffee cup and documenting celestial events from space.
While Pettit is NASA's oldest active astronaut, his upcoming mission underscores NASA's commitment to utilizing experienced astronauts for critical ISS missions. His return to space at this stage of his career mirrors a broader trend of seasoned astronauts continuing to play pivotal roles in human spaceflight.
This mission also reflects ongoing international cooperation in space exploration, with Pettit and his crew preparing to contribute to scientific research and operations aboard the ISS during their six-month stay.