Russian cosmonaut holds record for longest stay in space

This Sunday, a man set a new record for the longest time spent in space. This is Oleg Kononenko, an astronaut from Turkmenistan (a republic of the former Soviet Union) who spent more than two and a half years on the International Space Station (ISS). (You may also be interested in: There are many reasons to stop believing in astrology: Don't be fooled)

Gunnady Patalka, a Russian Air Force veteran, set the record 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes and 48 seconds On different missions aboard the ISS. Kononenko surpassed that time on Sunday and will set a broader goal: his current mission will begin in September 2023 and complete a year in September 2024.

By June, it is expected to complete 1,000 days in space and will set a final record of 1,110 days, ending its mission on September 23. From the station, in a conversation with the Russian news agency TASS, he drew attention to the improvements still needed to make the ISS more independent from various space agencies on Earth.

“I fly into space to do what I love, not to break records. I have dreamed of becoming an astronaut since childhood. This interest, the possibility of flying in space, living and working in orbit, motivates me to continue flying,” he told TASS. (We recommend: They grow tomatoes with the help of the revolutionary CRISPR gene editing technique)

For the astronaut, the ISS should become a big house in space, which can operate independently of each country's space agencies. For this, he explains, it is necessary to improve water supply, space debris removal and living conditions.

In addition, he told the Russian agency that he was keeping track of time during his stay, as he only maintains contact with his family through video calls. The astronaut made his maiden voyage in 2008. He is now 59 years old and has been the engineer on several missions to the ISS and the commander of two more.

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