NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson ends record-breaking space mission, makes smooth landing on Earth

New Delhi: After clocking up a career-total of 665 days in orbit, record-setting astronaut Peggy Whitson made a successful, smooth landing in Kazakhstan amid huge applause, along with her two crewmates – Jack Fischer and Fyodor Yurchikhin.

US space agency NASA aired the entire process, the crew members' last moments at the space station, the undocking of the Soyuz spacecraft and finally their landing. The crew's Russian Soyuz capsule touched down in Kazakhstan at 9:21 pm EDT Saturday (0121 GMT Sunday).

The 57-year-old astronaut – who is also called the 'American space ninja' by fellow astronauts – said she feels great after ending her extended 9-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

"I love working up here. It's one of the most gratifying jobs I've ever had," Whitson said, during an inflight interview on Monday.

During her third mission aboard the station, the biochemist spent much of her time on experiments, including studies of cancerous lung tissue and bone cells. She also completed four spacewalks, adding to her six previous outings, to set a record for the most time spent spacewalking by a woman.

Two crewmates who launched with Whitson in November returned to Earth three months ago. Her tenure was extended in order to fill a vacancy after Russia scaled down its station staff from three to two cosmonauts.

"I'm looking forward to seeing friends and family," Whitson said during another interview.

"But the thing I've been thinking about the most, kind of been fantasizing about a little bit, are foods that I want to make, vegetables that I want; things that I've missed up here."

In April, Whitson broke the 534-day US record for cumulative time in space. Only seven Russian men have logged more time, including Gennady Padalka, the world record-holder with 878 days in orbit.

Whitson became an astronaut in 1996 and was the first woman to command the space station and also the first woman and first non-pilot to serve as chief of the NASA Astronaut Corps.

(With inputs from Reuters)