Russian astronaut Oleg Kononenko sets new world record for longest time in space
Last Sunday, Oleg Kononenko toppled the existing world record for the duration spent in space. The new record was clocked at 8 AM Greenwich Time. The Russian surpassed the benchmark set by his compatriot, Gennady Padalka.
Kononenko's forerunner spent 878 days in space, 11 hours, 29 minutes and 48 seconds, spanned across five missions.
During his fifth space mission, the 59-year-old Kononenko broke the record while orbiting 421 kilometres from Earth. Kononenko arrived at the International Space Station on September 15 of the preceding year. The Russian astronaut's mission is set to conclude on September 23 of this year, implying that the record he shattered will be extended even further to a total of 1110 days.
"I journey to space to pursue my passion, not to establish records" - he told the state news agency Tass in an interview from the International Space Station.
During his tenure on the ISS, Kononenko ventured out into open space six times, clocking a total of 39 hours and 54 minutes. According to him, these space expeditions extracted a steep toll. "It was only after coming home that I grasped the reality that my children grew up without a father for hundreds of days during my absence," he shared.
"The preparation has not become any less arduous," - said Oleg Kononenko in reference to technology advancements
Kononenko's six missions were spread across sixteen years. The astronaut confessed that his extensive tenure did little to simplify the preparations for the expedition; somewhat, it complicated matters. He points out that technological advancements render preparations for future expeditions more complex.
"The astronaut's occupation is becoming increasingly complicated. Systems and experiments are growing in complexity. Preparations have unfortunately not become any easier," - expressed the new record holder.
"The Guardian" highlighted that projects associated with missions to the International Space Station are among the few realms where the US and Russian Federation collaborate. This cooperation, however, has been tenuous since the war in Ukraine.
