AirSpaceMag.com

High-Timers
Most of the human spaceflight records not claimed by Russians (22 of whom have spent upwards of a year in orbit) are held by shuttle astronauts. With two long-duration stays on the space station — the second, in 2007, as its first female commander — Peggy Whitson is the U.S. record holder for total time spent in space: 377 days. Franklin Chang-Diaz (middle) made his first shuttle flight in January 1986, just weeks before the Challenger accident. Having been back six more times, he is one of only two people in the world to take seven trips to orbit (Jerry Ross is the other). Michael Lopez-Alegria holds the record for most U.S. spacewalks: 10. He also made the longest single flight by an American — a 215-day stay on the station in 2006-2007.

Robert Seale

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Photos from: "Shuttlenauts" »