Oleg Kononenko, Russian cosmonaut who set an almost invincible record

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko today became first person to spend 1000 days in spacewrite this down beat aboard the International Space Station (ISS). “I realize that I have achieved something important, something new, that I have overcome a barrier, approached the unknown,” he assured the TASS agency. Kononenko, 59, set the new mark at 21:00:20 GMT after five flights to the orbital platform.

The Russian’s long stay on the ISS will allow scientists to learn more about his physiological effects on the body, such as muscle degeneration, bone loss, blurred vision and loss of balance (dizziness). “Long-term flights expand our understanding of human capabilities. Ultimately, humanity will begin to carry out interplanetary flights… The 1000-day mark will contribute to the development of space medicine,” the cosmonaut explained.

Russian Space Agency Roscosmostypically allows its astronauts to stay on the orbital platform longer than NASA, so the Russians have traditionally taken the lead in this area.

Oleg Kononenko: record holder

Kononenko, who turns 60 in two weeks, is a record holder because On February 4, he already became the cosmonaut with the longest stay in outer space – 878 days.11 hours 29 minutes and 48 seconds – a mark previously held by the legendary Gennady Padalka.

In total, Kononenko, who was born in the former Soviet republic of Turkmenistan, has flown five flights to the ISS (2008, 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2023), and the disaster of the space shuttle Columbia in February 2003 forced him to postpone five flights. years of his cosmic baptism, which, in fact, was supposed to take place at the International Station.

The Russian, who arrived on the spacecraft in September 2023 on the Soyuz MS-24, will have an additional 1,110 days – almost three years – when he returns to Earth on September 23. Engineer for Expedition 70 and commander of Expedition 71, he has also completed seven spacewalks since 2008 (44 hours and 30 minutes).

“I fly into space to devote myself to what I love, and not to set records. Being an astronaut is the profession that I dreamed of, which interested me and which I have aspired to since childhood. This interest, the opportunity to fly into space, life and work in orbit – that’s what motivates me to continue flying,” he told the TASS agency.

An unrivaled brand

The Kononenko brand is invincible today, as the next ten astronauts on the list retired or died. The vast majority are Russian or born in the former Soviet Union, with the exception of Peggy Whitson, an American who ranks ninth with 675 days, a significant achievement considering NASA has always limited women on board. ISS due to a greater risk of cancer.

The next active cosmonaut is also Russian Sergei Prokopyev, with 567 days on his account. However, it will be difficult for him to improve his personal brand, since the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmosannounced its intention to abandon the ISS in the coming years to focus on building Peggy Whitson. As for the record for continuous stay in space, it belongs to another Russian, Valery Polyakov, who spent 437 days continuously at the Russian Mir station between 1994 and 1995.

Kononenko advocates the construction of a station in the future, which will become a “real space home”, larger, more comfortable and less dependent on the Earth. To do this, he recommended improving systems for water regeneration, oxygen supply and space debris processing.

As if nothing had happened, the Russian devoted the weekend to collecting the vital cargo delivered to the station by the last Progress, which docked with the spacecraft on Saturday. The cargo included gifts, clothing, food and equipment for scientific experiments.

“We will study the effect of weightlessness on orientation in space. We will look for answers to the question of how to maintain the health of astronauts on long-duration rockets and study our immunity. This research will allow us to be better prepared for future space missions and better conditions for flying and living in space,” he explained.