ALL MONTH LONG WE’RE CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF WOMEN DURING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH IN A NEW PROJECT. COMMUNITY. vlog IS ALYSSA GOMEZ SPOKE WITH LEGENDARY IOWA ASTRONAUT PEGGY WHITSON ABOUT HER RECORD BREAKING CAREER AND HER IOWA ROOTS, AND HER UPCOMING MISSION. THREE TWO. BRISTOL MISSION AND LIFTOFF. MORE THAN TWO DECADES AGO, PEGGY WHITSON TOOK HER FIRST TRIP TO SPACE. AND SINCE THEN, SHE’S BEEN BACK NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE. IT’S A FEELING SHE NEVER GROWS TIRED OF. I WOULDN’T CALL IT BUTTERFLIES, BUT I WOULD CALL IT EXCITEMENT. JUST, YOU KNOW, SHEER EXCITEMENT, I CALL IT. IT’S STILL ATTACHED BY ONE. WHITSON HOLDS THE RECORD FOR THE NASA ASTRONAUT WITH THE MOST CUMULATIVE DAYS IN ORBIT. SHE’S THE FIRST FEMALE COMMANDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. AND EVEN AS ONE OF THE MOST DECORATED FEMALE ASTRONAUTS, SHE REMAINS DOWN TO EARTH. MY WORK ETHIC WAS INGRAINED IN ME BY MY PARENTS, YOU KNOW, WORKING EVERY DAY ON THE FARM, SOLVING PROBLEMS. I CARRIED IT WITH ME THROUGHOUT ALL THOSE YEARS. THE DAUGHTER OF A SOYBEAN FARMER, WHITSON HAS ALWAYS SHOWN LOVE TO HER ROOTS. IF A FARMER’S DAUGHTER FROM RINGGOLD COUNTY, IOWA, CAN GROW UP AND BE THE COMMANDER ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, THEN ANY ANY CHILD OUT THERE CAN BECOME WHATEVER THEY WANT TO. IT JUST TAKES A LOT OF HARD WORK AND PERSEVERANCE. ROOTS THAT HAVE BRANCHED OFF AND TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF GIRLS ACROSS THE STATE. AS A GIRL THAT WANTS TO BE IN STEM, LIKE THAT’S JUST KIND OF INSPIRING. EMMA IS A SEVENTH GRADER AT WAUKEE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND LIKE PEGGY, SHE HAS BIG ASPIRATIONS. I WANT TO BE AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER, SO SHE FREQUENTS THE SCIENCE CENTER OF IOWA, WHERE SCIENCE AND SPACE COME TO LIFE. AND THERE’S REMINDERS THAT WHEN WOMEN SHOOT FOR THE STARS, THEY MIGHT JUST LAND AMONG THEM. THIS IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE TRIP. WE ASKED WHITSON WHAT ADVICE SHE WOULD SHARE WITH GIRLS LIKE EMMA, AND THEN WE PASS THAT MESSAGE ALONG. FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS. YOU’VE GOT TO PUSH YOURSELF AND, YOU KNOW, BE VERY DETERMINED ABOUT YOUR YOUR APPROACH. AND GETTING TO YOUR DREAM MAY NOT BE THE STRAIGHT LINE THAT YOU THINK IT WILL BE. I HAD TO GO ON SEVERAL DIVERSIONS ALONG MY WAY, BUT GETTING THERE IS IMPORTANT. AND FOLLOW YOUR HEART. EMMA HEARD THE MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR. SHE’S ABLE TO, LIKE, ADMIT THAT THERE ARE OBSTACLES AND THAT IT CAN BE HARD. BUT LIKE SHE DID IT AND LIKE, LOOK WHERE SHE’S AT. GEARING UP FOR HER FOURTH MISSION TO SPACE. AXIOM FOUR MISSION. IT IS REALIZING THE RETURN OF THREE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES HUNGARY, POLAND AND INDIA. THESE COUNTRIES HAVEN’T FLOWN IN SPACE FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, AND THEY’VE NEVER BEEN TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. LUCKILY, A FREQUENT FLIER WILL BE THERE TO SHOW THEM THE ROPES. WHITSON SAYS SHE HOPES IT OPENS EVEN MORE DOORS FOR THE FUTURE OF SPACE EXPLORATION. YOU’RE STIMULATING A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF ASTRONAUTS OR YOUNG ASTRONAUTS OUT THERE IN THE WORLD, AND MAY JUST BE ONE MORE SMALL STEP FOR WHITSON, BUT ANOTHER GIANT LEAP FOR WOMEN AND YOUNG GIRLS WITH OUT OF THIS WORLD DREAMS. IN DES MOINES, ALYSS
'Follow your dreams': Iowa astronaut Peggy Whitson inspires next generation ahead Axiom Mission 4
Iowa astronaut Peggy Whitson is gearing up for her fourth trip to space and inspiring the next generation of girls in STEM.
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Updated: 10:29 PM CDT Mar 16, 2025
Iowa-born astronaut Peggy Whitson is no stranger to breaking barriers. She holds the record as NASA astronaut with the most cumulative days in space and became the first-ever female commander of the international space station. With a career full of accomplishments, she still continues to give credit to her Iowa roots. "My work ethic was ingrained in me by my parents, you know, and working every day on the farm, solving problems," Whitson said. Whitson grew up in Ringgold County. The daughter of a soybean farmer, Whitson says she learned the value of hard work and perseverance from her parents. "I carried it with me throughout all those years," Whitson said. It wasn't until Whitson graduated high school that NASA selected the first female astronauts...and her dreams of heading to space began to look more and more like reality. In the years leading up to her first mission, Whitson said more doors were often shut than opened. She applied 10 times before finally being selected to interview. "Looking back at my career, it was those ten years of rejection that gave me a lot of skills that became extremely important, for me as an astronaut, but mostly as a leader," Whitson said.Whitson will serve as commander on the upcoming Axiom Mission 4, along with astronauts from Poland, India and Hungary. The countries have not returned to space for more than 40 years, and for the first time their astronauts will step foot on the International Space Station. Whitson says this mission could inspire a whole new generation of astronauts. For those that shoot for the stars and follow in her footsteps, she shared some advice. "Follow your dreams. You've got to push yourself and, you know, be very determined about your approach and getting to your dream may not be the straight line that you think it will be. I had to go on several diversions along my way, but getting there is important, and follow your heart," Whitson said. Watch: Iowa native, NASA astronaut makes record-breaking spacewalkWatch: vlog Close Up: Astronaut Peggy WhitsonMore coverage of Peggy Whitson
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa-born astronaut Peggy Whitson is no stranger to breaking barriers. She holds the record as NASA astronaut with the most cumulative days in space and became the first-ever female commander of the international space station. With a career full of accomplishments, she still continues to give credit to her Iowa roots.
"My work ethic was ingrained in me by my parents, you know, and working every day on the farm, solving problems," Whitson said.
Whitson grew up in Ringgold County. The daughter of a soybean farmer, Whitson says she learned the value of hard work and perseverance from her parents.
"I carried it with me throughout all those years," Whitson said.
It wasn't until Whitson graduated high school that NASA selected the first female astronauts...and her dreams of heading to space began to look more and more like reality.
In the years leading up to her first mission, Whitson said more doors were often shut than opened. She applied 10 times before finally being selected to interview.
"Looking back at my career, it was those ten years of rejection that gave me a lot of skills that became extremely important, for me as an astronaut, but mostly as a leader," Whitson said.
Whitson will serve as commander on the upcoming Axiom Mission 4, along with astronauts from Poland, India and Hungary. The countries have not returned to space for more than 40 years, and for the first time their astronauts will step foot on the International Space Station.
Whitson says this mission could inspire a whole new generation of astronauts. For those that shoot for the stars and follow in her footsteps, she shared some advice.
"Follow your dreams. You've got to push yourself and, you know, be very determined about your approach and getting to your dream may not be the straight line that you think it will be. I had to go on several diversions along my way, but getting there is important, and follow your heart," Whitson said.
Watch: Iowa native, NASA astronaut makes record-breaking spacewalk
Watch: vlog Close Up: Astronaut Peggy Whitson
More coverage of Peggy Whitson
