Oleg Kononenko, the Russian cosmonaut who was born in Turkmenistan, has already set the world record for most time spent space. He is the current commander at the ISS (International Space Station). By the time he returns to earth in September 2024, he would have spent 1110 days in space.
On 5 February 2024, he completed a combined total of 879 days in space, surpassing the previous record of Gennady Padalka, who had spent 878 days in space before he retired. It is a record no one seems in a position to beat any time soon.
The cosmonaut celebrated the achievement on board the International Space Station. “I fly into space to do what I love, not to set records. I’ve dreamt of and aspired to become a cosmonaut since I was a child. That interest – the opportunity to fly into space, to live and work in orbit – motivates me to continue flying,” he told Russian news agency TASS.
Kononenko, who is the commander of the Russian space agency Roscosmos cosmonaut corps, is on his fifth space mission. Alongside fellow Russian Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, he began his current mission to the International Space Station on September 15, 2023. His mission will complete on 23 September 2024.
Oleg Kononenko was born on 21 June 1964 in Chardzhou, Turkmen SSR (now Türkmenabat, Turkmenistan). He completed his school education in Turkmenistan, and speaks the Turkmen language fluently.
He is the recipient of the medals Hero of Turkmenistan and Star of President’s Order. /// nCa, 11 April 2024