First person to spend 1,000 days in space

Russian astronaut Oleg Kononenko, 59 years old, has set a new record for the total time spent in space while working on the International Space Station (ISS). The Russian space agency Roscosmos announced on June 5 that Kononenko became the first person in history to reach the milestone of living 1,000 days in space. His current assignment at the ISS is set to begin on September 15, 2023, and end on September 23, 2024, bringing his total days lived in orbit to 1,110 days, setting a new record.

Kononenko has accumulated days spent in space through multiple missions, starting with his first mission, Expedition 17, in April 2008. In total, he has completed five missions to the ISS. He surpassed the previous record of living in space for 878 days, set by colleague Gennady Padalka, in February 2024. Kononenko shared that his passion for flying into space and doing work in orbit motivates him to continue his missions.

Living in space for an extended period can lead to physiological and psychological changes for astronauts. One of the biggest challenges is the microgravity environment, which causes muscle mass decrease and osteoporosis due to lack of use. Astronauts like Kononenko are closely monitored when returning from long-term missions to assess these changes and their impact on their health. Unlike NASA astronauts who typically spend no more than 6 months on the ISS before rotating with new crews, Kononenko and other Roscosmos astronauts often have longer-duration assignments.