President Donald Trump on Sunday congratulated two astronauts who returned to earth, telling them in a phone call, 'They make us very proud."
Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer returned late Saturday after extended stays at the International Space Station. Whitson set records for the longest time in space: 665 total days, and 288 days on her just ended mission.
That puts her in first place of any American as well as first among all women worldwide.
"Exploration has always been at the core of who we are as Americans, and their brave contributions to human space flight have continued that great tradition," Trump said, according to a report in The Hill.
He said Whitson is an "inspiration to us all. … Especially to young women interested in or currently pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math."
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