In a groundbreaking achievement, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has become the first person to spend over 1,000 days in space, according to the Russian space agency Roscosmos on Wednesday.
At 59 years old, Kononenko reached this historic milestone on Tuesday after embarking on five missions to the International Space Station (ISS) since 2008.
His current mission began on September 15, 2023, when he was launched alongside NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara and compatriot Nikolai Chub.
In February 2024, Kononenko surpassed the previous record of 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes, and 48 seconds in space, held by fellow Russian Gennady Padalka since 2015. If his mission concludes as planned on September 23, 2024, he will have spent a total of 1,110 days in orbit.
Reflecting on his achievement, Kononenko told Russian state news agency TASS, 'There's this awareness that you have achieved something new and important, that you've overcome a certain milestone, touched the unknown. It gives you confidence, and pride in the work you've done.'
He also shared that his American colleagues on the ISS were among the first to congratulate him.
The ISS remains one of the few arenas where the United States and Russia continue to collaborate closely, despite Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In December, Roscosmos announced that its cross-flight program with NASA, which transports astronauts to the ISS, has been extended until 2025.
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Russian cosmonaut becomes first person to spend 1,000 days in space
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