NASA astronaut Christina Koch shatters record for longest stay in space by a female astronaut
After spending 328 days on the ISS and being part of the first all-female spacewalk, the NASA astronaut returned to Earth safely on February 6.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned to earth after a recording breaking stay in space. She now has the record for longest continuous spaceflight record for female astronauts in space after spending 328 days on the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch being lifted out of the Soyuz capsule in Kazakhstan. (Image credits: NASA)
Christina stated the return trip to Earth on from the ISS early on 6 February, along with ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov. The trio had a safe landing in Kazakhstan.
She is second only to NASA astronaut Scott Kelly who holds the record for longest time in space by a NASA astronaut. Scott spent 340 days in space. She has officially overtaken fellow US astronaut Peggy Whitson’s record of 289 days in space.
While on the mission, Christina also set the record for being part of the first all-female space walk. Christina and fellow astronaut Jessica Meir conducted the first space walk in October last year and did two more all-women spacewalks after that.
Speaking from the ISS last week, she said, “We caught each other’s eye and we knew that we were really honoured with this opportunity to inspire so many, and just hearing our voices talk to Mission Control, knowing two female voices had never been on the loops, solving those problems together outside – it was a really special feeling.” She was part of six spacewalks in total.
After blasting off from Earth on March 14 last year, her mission saw her make 5,248 orbits of the Earth, witnessing 16 sunrises and sunsets every day, and travel 223 million km.
After the medical checks, Christina will take part in NASA research about long-duration spaceflight that will pave the way for trips further out into the solar system, including the Moon and Mars under the agency’s Artemis program.
The 41-year-old Michigan-born engineer is an expert in space science instrument development and in engineering in remote scientific locations including Antarctica and Alaska. During the mission, her research indcluded growing protein crystals for potential use as treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons.
(Edited by Rekha Balakrishnan)
