Next stop Earth for NASA’s space champ with 665 days aloft

By The Associated Press
September 2, 2017 | 5:58 PM

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA space champ Peggy Whitson is on her way back to Earth to wrap up a record-breaking flight.

Whitson left the International Space Station on Saturday, along with another American and a Russian. Their Soyuz capsule is due to land in Kazakhstan late Saturday, U.S. time.

Altogether, Whitson has spent 665 days off the planet, more than any other American — also more than any other woman. This trip — her third — lasted 288 days.

She became the world’s oldest spacewoman, at age 57, and the most experienced female spacewalker, with 10, following her launch last November.

Returning cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin has logged even more time in orbit: 673 days over five missions. Also headed home is Jack Fischer, with 136 days aloft. The men flew up in April.

China abruptly postpones ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission launch

By The Associated Press
August 23, 2026 | 1:30 PM

HAIKOU, China (AP) — China said on Sunday it was postponing its planned ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon. The Chang’e-7 spacecraft was originally set to lift off in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on China’s southern Hainan island. The mission does not meet the launch conditions, said the China Manned Space Agency in a brief statement, and “cannot take place during the planned window this year.” The decision was made following a “comprehensive assessment,” the agency added, and was based on the principles of “prudence, reliability and absolute mission success.” It did not further elaborate on the reasons behind the decision.

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