According to Russia’s space corporation, Oleg Kononenko, a Russian astronaut, broke the world record for the most time spent in space. He surpassed his fellow countryman Gennady Padalka, who previously held the record with over 878 days in orbit.

According to Roscosmos, Kononenko set a new record at 0830 GMT. He is projected to reach 1,000 days in space on June 5 and will have accumulated 1,110 days by late September.

“I am in space to do what I love, not to break records,” Kononenko stated in an interview with TASS while aboard the International Space Station (ISS), currently orbiting approximately 263 miles (423 km) above Earth.

I take pride in my accomplishments, but I am even more proud that the record for the longest human stay in space is still held by a Russian cosmonaut.

According to Roscosmos, the 59-year-old surpassed Padalka’s record of 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes, and 48 seconds to take the top spot.

During the space race, the Soviet Union caused concern in the West when they were the first to successfully send a satellite, Sputnik 1, into orbit in 1957. They furthered this achievement by sending cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961, making him the first human to do so.

However, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia’s space program faced significant challenges due to lack of funding and corruption.

According to officials and space experts, the decline of Russia’s space programs has been a subject of concern for President Vladimir Putin’s administration. Despite efforts to improve the situation, significant issues still persist.

Life in space

Kononenko mentioned that he consistently exercised to combat the negative effects of weightlessness, which he described as “insidious.” However, upon returning to Earth, he realized how much of life he had missed out on.

He stated that he does not feel deprived or isolated.

Upon my return home, I realize that for hundreds of days, my children have been growing up without a father. This time, no one will come back to me.

According to him, astronauts can now use video calls and messaging to stay connected with their families, but preparing for each new space mission has become more challenging with the advancement of technology.

“The tasks of a cosmonaut are becoming increasingly complex. The systems and experiments are also becoming more intricate. Let me reiterate, the training process has not become simpler,” he stated.

As a child, Kononenko had a dream of traveling to space. He pursued this dream by enrolling in an engineering institute and then undergoing cosmonaut training. In 2008, he embarked on his first space mission.

He is currently on a journey to the ISS, which began last year aboard a Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft.

The International Space Station (ISS) remains one of the limited joint efforts between the United States and Russia. In December, Roscosmos announced that the joint program with NASA for ISS missions has been prolonged until 2025.

The relationship between the two countries has deteriorated due to Russia’s attack on Ukraine almost two years ago. In response, Washington has provided weapons to Kyiv and implemented multiple rounds of sanctions against Moscow.