Wisconsin Astronaut Sets Space Record

A Wisconsin astronaut has set the American record for the most hours logged in space. The Town of Winter native is set to return to Earth in early September.

Jeff Williams, 58, surpassed astronaut Scott Kelly’s record of 520 days in space on Wednesday. NASA spokeswoman Brandi Dean said Williams will have logged 534 days when he returns from the International Space Station on Sept. 6.

“Jeff is doing great. He’s up there with Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi from the Japanese Space Organization and also, of course, three Russian cosmonauts as well,” she said. “They are actually staying really busy. They’ve got a lot on their plate.”

The six-person crew has been doing a number of experiments and collecting data that is being sent back to Earth for analysis. On Thursday, Williams was conducting research on how the lack of gravity affects heart function.

Dean said NASA is learning about how long missions in space affect the body, including vision.

“As your body doesn’t have to fight against the gravity, you end up with a lot of fluid in your head,” she said. “That’s affecting the shape of astronauts’ eyes, so that affects their vision while they’re in space. We’re trying to figure out why that is and how we might counteract it before we send people on longer missions.”

Astronaut Scott Kelly dropped by Mission Control on Wednesday to congratulate Williams. In a NASA video, Kelly asks Williams, “You got another 190 days in you?”

“That question’s not for me. That’s for my wife,” Williams said with a chuckle.

Williams is also the first NASA astronaut to spend three long-duration stays in space. This is his fourth mission aboard the ISS. The Wisconsin astronaut might not hold his title for very long. Astronaut Peggy Whitson has logged 377 days in space and is setting out on a six-month mission in November.