David Bridges
Two cosmonauts have set the file for probably the most days spent repeatedly aboard the Worldwide House Station (ISS), surpassing the earlier file holders, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, and Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev.
On Friday, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub broke the file for the longest-duration keep on the ISS, in response to Russian state-run media outlet TASS. The pair launched to Earth orbit on September 15, 2023, as a part of the Expedition 71 crew, and are scheduled to return to Earth on September 23, spending a complete of 374 days on board the house station.
The earlier file holders are U.S. astronaut Frank Rubio, and Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev. The trio spent a complete of 370 days on board the ISS as a result of a defective Soyuz spacecraft that led to them being stranded in house and lengthening their six-month lengthy mission to over a 12 months.
This time round, no spacecraft glitches are responsible for the brand new file, and one of many cosmonauts isn’t any stranger to time spent floating in microgravity. Other than his consecutive days in orbit file, the 59-year-old Kononenko additionally just lately grew to become the primary particular person to achieve 1,000 cumulative days spent in house, Spaceflight Now reported.
After his present mission wraps up, Kononenko may have spent a complete of 1,111 days in house. With all these days in orbit, Kononenko has far surpassed the earlier file holder, cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, who logged greater than 878 days in house.
Kononenko’s ongoing mission on board the ISS is his fifth flight, and third time as commander of the house station. “I fly into house to do my favorite factor, to not set information,” Kononenko instructed TASS in an interview from the ISS, Reuters reported. “I’m pleased with all my achievements, however I’m extra proud that the file for the overall length of human keep in house continues to be held by a Russian cosmonaut.”
He’s referring to the file of longest total steady keep in house, which is held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov. The cosmonaut spent 437 consecutive days onboard the previous Mir house station between 1994 and 1995.
The inhabitants of the ISS assist scientists be taught extra in regards to the results the microgravity surroundings has on the human physique. As NASA and different house companies plan for future missions to the Moon and Mars, knowledge gathered from the choose few people who’ve been to house stays essential in creating methods to mitigate the risks of long-duration spaceflight.
Extra: ‘I Would Have Declined’: NASA’s Frank Rubio Displays on Unintended 12 months in House
Brandon Fletcher
