On April 21st, 2025 NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth after spending 220 days onboard the International Space Station (ISS). While all astronauts are impressive, Pettit was particularly amazing given that the day he returned to Earth was also his 70th birthday.

This makes him the oldest active astronaut, but not the oldest astronaut ever. That honor goes to John Glenn, who was part of the Mercury missions. He spent nine days in space on the Discovery while he was 77 years old. The oldest person ever to go to space was William Shatner (yes, he actually went to space, not just in Star Trek). He was part of the first crewed flight onboard Blue Origin in 2021, which took place when he was 90 years old.

NASA wrote about Pettit’s mission, making sure to point out the fact that while most of the news about him is regarding his age, he was actually performing some vital research while onboard. On a post, they said:

“During his time aboard the space station, Pettit conducted research to enhance in-orbit metal 3D printing capabilities, advance water sanitization technologies, explore plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigate fire behavior in microgravity, all contributing to future space missions. He also used his surroundings aboard the station to conduct unique experiments in his spare time and captivate the public with his photography.”

Pettit has grown a large following on social media due to his incredible photographs taken while in space (and some here on Earth).

If you were wondering, there is no set age limit on astronauts put in place by NASA, which says:

“There are no age restrictions. Astronaut candidates selected in the past have ranged between the ages of 26 and 46, with the average age being 34.”

The goal of NASA is to get the most qualified people for a given mission, regardless of their age. Of course, being an astronaut is both physically and mentally demanding, so that is going to naturally limit how old someone can be in most cases.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has a strict cutoff, as they explained:

“The role of astronaut is physically and mentally demanding. To ensure each recruited astronaut can fulfil at least two missions during their employment with ESA prior to retirement, ESA is obliged to set a maximum age limit of 50 years. This means that applications from anybody older than 50 at the time of applying cannot be taken further in the selection process.”

It has not yet been announced whether Pettit will be going back to space or not, though it seems unlikely. For now, he is reacclimating himself to life here on Earth, getting used to the gravity, and enjoying his time.

He must be in incredible shape!

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about why we should be worried about the leak in the bottom of the ocean.