who held the record total cumulative space walk time by a female astronaut (50 hours and 40 minutes) until Peggy Whitson surpassed it in April 2017. Williams has also spent a total of 322 days in space on two missions (International Space Station Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33), placing her sixth on the all-time US endurance list and second all-time for a female. Born in Euclid, Ohio, but considering Needham, Massachusetts, to be her hometown, Williams was a US Navy officer and naval aviator until becoming an astronaut in 1998.