Watch NASA's Oldest Active Astronaut Launch To ISS Wednesday

At 69 years old, Don Pettit stands out as no ordinary senior citizen. Instead of relaxing in retirement, he’s preparing for an exhilarating journey to the International Space Station (ISS) set for Wednesday.

Pettit, who holds the title of NASA’s oldest active astronaut, embarks on his fourth voyage to space, marking an impressive 22-year career. He will travel aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft launched from the historic Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, accompanied by cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner.

His inaugural visit to the ISS took place in 2002, shortly after the station became operational. During this mission, he served as the NASA Science Officer as part of Expedition 6.

Throughout his career, Pettit has also flown aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour during mission STS-126. His latest journey to the space station occurred in 2011.

With a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona, Pettit enthusiastically shares insights from the experiments he conducts aboard the ISS. As he embarks on this six-month mission, followers can expect regular updates from him through his social media platforms.

“Pettit has significantly advanced human space exploration aboard the International Space Station, resulting in numerous published scientific works,” noted NASA.

In addition to his scientific contributions, Pettit is a passionate photographer. Viewers can look forward to striking images captured during his time on the ISS, including a recent infrared photograph he shared on X (previously known as Twitter):

Camana, Peru region in near infrared. Wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, this lush flora-packed river delta appears as bright magenta. Camana is the grayish feature in the lower center of the river delta. This is in stark contrast to the sparse foliage in… pic.twitter.com/zXu6Gor1MF

— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) September 1, 2024