Astronaut Don Pettit’s First Spaceflight was Crazy – And He’s Still Flying!

Scott Manley here! It’s been an incredible 24 hours, with Polaris Dawn’s historic spacewalk captivating space fans worldwide. Jared Isaacman stepped out of the SpaceX Dragon capsule, becoming the first non-professional astronaut to perform a spacewalk, orbiting high above the Southern Hemisphere. This mission took them farther from Earth than humans have traveled in a long time.

Meanwhile, Soyuz MS-26 launched, bringing the total number of people in orbit to 19—a record! Between the International Space Station (ISS), Polaris Dawn, the Chinese space station, and other crafts, humanity is reaching new milestones in space presence. Notably, American astronaut Don Pettit has returned to orbit, marking his fourth mission to the ISS and setting a record as the oldest person to have an extended stay in space at age 69.

But here’s a story from Pettit’s first mission on STS-113 back in 2002. While aboard the ISS, Pettit became known for his “Saturday Morning Science” experiments, capturing the imagination of many with unique demonstrations, like building a barn door tracker to photograph Earth from space. After the Columbia disaster in 2003 grounded shuttles, Pettit and his crew had to extend their stay until a Soyuz capsule could return them to Earth. Pettit managed to bring back his experimental footage and equipment by strapping it onto his chest during the cramped re-entry—a heroic feat, considering the G-forces during the ballistic descent they encountered.

Through ingenuity, passion, and a willingness to push boundaries, Pettit brought new perspectives on life in space, forever changing our view of Earth and beyond.