Who was the first woman to command the ISS?

Peggy Whitson was the first woman to command the International Space Station. She took command during Expedition 16 in October 2007, becoming the station’s first female commander.

Whitson had already lived aboard the ISS during Expedition 5 in 2002. On her second station mission, she led an international crew while overseeing science operations, maintenance and visiting spacecraft. Her command ended when Expedition 16 returned to Earth in April 2008.

The distinction is sometimes confused with Whitson’s later record: she became the first woman to command the ISS twice during Expedition 51 in 2017. Other women, including Sunita Williams and Samantha Cristoforetti, later held senior station roles, but neither was the first woman to command it. Whitson also became NASA’s first female Chief Astronaut in 2009.