A Russian cosmonaut set a new record in space

NASA shot

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko set a new record for the longest stay on the International Space Station (ISS), the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced, Investor reported.

The previous record belonged to another Russian – Gennady Padalka, who spent 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes and 48 seconds in orbit during his five missions.

Padalka’s feat was surpassed by Kononenko at 11:30:08 Moscow time (11:30:08 GMT) on Saturday, Roscosmos said on social media.

This is the fifth mission to the ISS for Kononenko, who first traveled in space in 2008.

The station’s current crew is due to return to Earth on September 23, making Kononenov, 59, the first person to pass the 1,000-day mark in space.

Kononenko said he could consider the ISS his home after being there for 878 days. „Home is where your family and friends are. A lot of my friends are cosmonauts and astronauts,“ he explained.

The astronaut insists he is „flying into space to do the job I love, not to set records“. He stated that he was more proud not of his personal achievement, but of the fact that the record for the longest time spent in space remains in the hands of a Russian.

When asked how such a long stay in orbit affected him, Kononenko replied: „Going into space, of course, does not improve health, but I have always led an active lifestyle and regularly exercised both on Earth and in space .“

„And from a psychological point of view, during my work in orbit I do not feel any deprivation or isolation,“ he stressed, adding that „the friendly atmosphere, mutual support and understanding between all crew members remain unchanged on the station“ all the time.

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