Donald Pettit

Donald Roy Pettit is an American astronaut and chemical engineer best known for his orbital astrophotography and in-space inventions such as the Zero G Cup, which received the first ever patent for an object invented in space. He is a veteran of three long-duration missions aboard the International Space Station, one Space Shuttle mission, and a six-week expedition to find meteorites in Antarctica. As of 2025, at age 70, he is NASA's oldest active astronaut and the third oldest person to reach orbit, behind John Glenn and Larry Connor. He has accumulated 590 days in space.

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1955  Wikimedia, Wikidata
Don Pettit; Donald R. Pettit; Donald Roy Pettit
astronaut, engineer, chemist, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Eagle Scout, Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration", NASA Astronaut Group 16, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Space Flight Medal, United States, 

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• 

  Expedition 72 ⓘ
  72nd long-duration mission to the International Space Station

• 

  Soyuz TMA-1 ⓘ
  crewed spaceflight to the International Space Station

• 

  STS-113 ⓘ
  human spaceflight

• 

  Expedition 6 ⓘ
  6th expedition to the International Space Station

• 

  STS-126 ⓘ
  human spaceflight

• 

  Expedition 30 ⓘ
  Long-duration mission to the International Space Station

• 

  Soyuz TMA-03M ⓘ
  2011 Russian crewed spaceflight to the ISS

• 

  Expedition 31 ⓘ
  expedition to the International Space Station

• 

  Expedition 71 ⓘ
  71st long-duration mission to the International Space Station

• 

  Soyuz MS-26 ⓘ
  Russian crewed spaceflight to the ISS

United States, Expedition 71, 

1955-04-20T00:00:00Z

1955-04-20T00:00:00Z

1955 Donald Pettit

2002-10-30T00:00:00Z

2002-10-30T00:00:00Z

2002 Soyuz TMA-1

2002-11-24T00:00:00Z

2002-11-24T00:00:00Z

2002 STS-113

2002-11-25T00:00:00Z

2003-05-03T00:00:00Z

2002 — 2003 Expedition 6

2008-11-15T00:00:00Z

2008-11-15T00:00:00Z

2008 STS-126

2011-11-21T00:00:00Z

2012-04-27T00:00:00Z

2011 — 2012 Expedition 30

2011-12-21T00:00:00Z

2011-12-21T00:00:00Z

2011 Soyuz TMA-03M

2012-04-27T00:00:00Z

2012-07-01T00:00:00Z

2012 Expedition 31

2024-04-06T00:00:00Z

2024-09-23T00:00:00Z

2024 Expedition 71

2024-09-11T00:00:00Z

2024-09-11T00:00:00Z

2024 Soyuz MS-26

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Frameless

DonaldPettit

Expedition 31 crew portrait

Expedition 72 Crew Poster

Iss072-s-002

ISS Expedition 6 crew

Orion Crew Module at Kennedy Space Center

STS-126 FD3a

STS113-335-033 - STS-113 - Flight Deck (FD) views of Wetherbee and Pettit for STS-113 - DPLA - 193ccb94c141d839206889f9d46239b8

STS113-342-017 - STS-113 - STS-113, Expedition Five, Expedition Six in-flight crew portraits taken in the U.S. Laboratory - DPLA - 637da66d6903c5608bb2db9cdcebfc13

S113E05244 - STS-113 - Expedition Six Crewmembers In-flight Crew Portrait taken in the U.S. Laboratory during STS-113 (11A) - DPLA - 9846fc9937510e62a391627aad75a8da

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
event	spaceflight		Expedition 72	expedition to the International Space Station	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2002	Soyuz TMA-1	human spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2002	STS-113	human spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2002	Expedition 6	expedition to the International Space Station	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2008	STS-126	human spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2011	Expedition 30	expedition to the International Space Station	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2011	Soyuz TMA-03M	Soyuz TMA-M, human spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2012	Expedition 31	expedition to the International Space Station	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2024	Expedition 71	expedition to the International Space Station	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2024	Soyuz MS-26	space mission, human spaceflight	Wikidata
commons	image		DonaldPettit		Commons
commons	image		Expedition 31 crew portrait		Commons
commons	image		Expedition 72 Crew Poster		Commons
commons	image		Iss072-s-002		Commons
commons	image		ISS Expedition 6 crew		Commons
commons	image		Orion Crew Module at Kennedy Space Center		Commons
commons	image		STS-126 FD3a		Commons
commons	image		STS113-335-033 - STS-113 - Flight Deck (FD) views of Wetherbee and Pettit for STS-113 - DPLA - 193ccb94c141d839206889f9d46239b8		Commons
commons	image		STS113-342-017 - STS-113 - STS-113, Expedition Five, Expedition Six in-flight crew portraits taken in the U.S. Laboratory - DPLA - 637da66d6903c5608bb2db9cdcebfc13		Commons
commons	image		S113E05244 - STS-113 - Expedition Six Crewmembers In-flight Crew Portrait taken in the U.S. Laboratory during STS-113 (11A) - DPLA - 9846fc9937510e62a391627aad75a8da		Commons