878 days in orbit and counting: Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko sets record for most time in space

Russia's space corporation said that cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko on Sunday (Feb 4) set a world record for total time spent in space, surpassing his compatriot Gennady Padalka who logged more than 878 days in orbit - the equivalent of nearly two-and-a-half years.

Kononenko is currently on board the International Space Station (ISS) when he celebrated the milestone. He has travelled five times since 2008. His current trip to the ISS launched last year on a Soyuz MS-24.

He told Russian news agency TASS, "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. I am proud of all my achievements, but I am more proud that the record for the total duration of human stay in space is still held by a Russian cosmonaut," he added.

Roscosmos said that the 59-year-old Kononenko took the top spot from Padalka, who accumulated a total of 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes and 48 seconds.

Kononenko said that he worked out on a regular basis to counteract the physical effects of "insidious" weightlessness. He further added that it was only after returning to Earth that he realised how much life he had lost out on.

"I do not feel deprived or isolated. It is only upon returning home that the realisation comes that for hundreds of days in my absence the children have been growing up without a papa. No one will return this time to me," he said.

He said cosmonauts could now use video calls and messaging to keep in touch with relatives but getting ready for each new space flight became more difficult due to technological advances.

"The profession of a cosmonaut is becoming more complicated. The systems and experiments are becoming more complicated. I repeat, the preparation has not become easier," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)