Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has broken the world record for the most cumulative time spent in space, Russian space agency Roscosmos reported Sunday.
The 59-year-old has now spent more than 878 days and 12 hours in space, surpassing fellow Russian Gennady Padalka, who set the previous record of 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes and 48 seconds in 2015.
Kononenko has made five trips to the International Space Station, since 2008.
Speaking to Russian news agency TASS, the engineer said that every trip to the ISS requires meticulous preparation as the station is constantly being upgraded — but life as an astronaut is a childhood dream come true.
“I flew into space to do what I love, not to set records. I have dreamed and aspired to be an astronaut since childhood. That interest — the opportunity to fly into space, to live and work in orbit — pushed me to keep flying,” he told TASS.
Kononenko has made five trips to the International Space Station, since 2008. AP
Kononenko said he aspired to be an astronaut all his life. AP
Kononenko’s current journey to the ISS begins on September 15, 2023, when she launches alongside NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and Roscosmos compatriot Nikolai Chub. By the end of this expedition, the astronaut is expected to become the first person to accumulate 1,000 days in space.
The International Space Station is one of the few areas where the United States and Russia are still working closely following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Roscosmos announced in December that its cross-flight program with NASA transporting astronauts to the ISS has been extended until 2025.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
