Russian Astronaut Oleg Kononenko Becomes the First Person to Spend 1,000 Days in Space
At 12:00 AM on June 5 Moscow time (4:00 AM the same day according to Hanoi time), Astronaut Kononenko from the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), who was working aboard the International Space Station (ISS), became the first person in the world to achieve a total of 1,000 days in space.
Russian Astronaut Oleg Kononenko – (Photo: REUTERS).
Kononenko surpassed the previous record held by compatriot Gennady Padalka, who completed a total of 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes, and 48 seconds in space over five missions.
Currently, Astronaut Kononenko is on his fifth mission and will celebrate his 60th birthday aboard the ISS. By the end of his mission, which is scheduled for September 23, 2024, the Russian astronaut will have spent a total of 1,110 days in space.
Kononenko stated that his American colleagues were the first to congratulate him on this remarkable achievement.
He emphasized that the 1,000 days in space is significant for advancing space medicine and preparing for future interplanetary missions, as it “has expanded the understanding of human capabilities” as well as “the needs and boundary issues of human physical potential.”
Astronaut and Journalist Astronaut Kononenko made his first flight into space in April 2008 aboard the Soyuz TMA-12. Upon safely returning to Earth, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation and Russian Cosmonaut. Since 2016, Kononenko has commanded the Russian spaceflight team. Interestingly, this astronaut also serves as a journalist for the TASS news agency at the ISS. According to a cooperation agreement between TASS and Roscosmos, Russian cosmonauts flying to the ISS receive press credentials from the agency, allowing them to carry out information missions about Earth as real journalists. |
