The pace in space: Vet breaks record

MELBOURNE Scott Kelly is widely known as the Ironman of U. S. astronauts after his recent year- long mission aboard the International Space Station, during which he set a NASA record for most cumulative days in space with 520 over four flights.

As of Wednesday, the career record belongs not to Kelly but Jeff Williams, an unassuming NASA veteran who doesn’t mind if his six- month tour lacks the promotion and buzz of Kelly’s “# Year In Space.”

The commander of the station’s six- person Expedition 48 crew marked his 521st day in space Wednesday, a total expected to reach 534 days by the time he returns to Earth on Sept. 6 to conclude his fourth spaceflight.

Wednesday, Kelly called Williams to congratulate him on his achievement.

“I wanted to congratulate you on passing me up here in total number of days in space,” Kelly said. “It’s great to see another record broken. ... But I do have one question for you. And my question is: You got another 190 days in you?” Williams said, “That question’s not for me, that’s for

my wife.”

Don’t expect the retired Army colonel — a 58- year- old grandfather who is the oldest NASA astronaut to live on the orbiting laboratory complex — to boast about the achievement.

“It’s an honor to spend any day in space, and certainly to have accumulated that time is truly an honor for me,” Williams told NASA TV recently.

He prefers to shift the attention to the station itself, which he considers humanity’s greatest technological feat, and the international partnership that put it together.

“That’s really the bigger story to me, personally,” he said.

Williams’ 20- year astronaut career has spanned the station’s assembly, which began in 1998.

His first flight was a shuttle mission in 2000 that helped set up the fledgling outpost for its first permanent crew later that year.

Crews have lived continuously on the space station for nearly 16 years.

Since that 10- day shuttle flight, it’s been all long- duration missions for the Wisconsin native.

NASA VIA FLORIDA TODAY Astronaut Jeff Williams set a U. S. record for most cumulative days in space with 521 over four missions.