Russia’s space agency said cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko had set a world record for total cumulative time spent in space. Roskosmos said in a statement that Kononenko had clocked 879 total days in orbit as of February 4, surpassing the previous record held by his compatriot, Gennady Padalka. Kononenko, 59, racked up the tally over five trips to the International Space Station, first beginning in 2008. The record is a bright spot for Russia’s beleaguered space program, which has been battered by Western sanctions. Roskosmos has also slipped behind private companies like Space X which are rapidly expanding their space programs. American Peggy Whitson holds NASA's record for cumulative days in space: 655.
Cosmonaut Sets Record For Cumulative Time In Space, Says Russian Agency
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko (file photo)