Do you know who holds the real record for 'longest' space mission? Here's a list of top 10—Check details

After NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's 8 days space journey turned into a 286-day ordeal following their spacecraft suffering propulsion failures, forcing National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to keep them aboard the International Space Station (ISS) until a safe return in 2025, everyone would be considering their journey as the longest time in space on a single mission of the all time. But, there are several astronauts whose number of days in space on a single mission is more than Sunita's.

From record-holder Valeri Polyakov to Andrew Morgan, there are several astronauts who resisted gravity for a number of months. So, here is the list of the top 10 astronauts who spent the longest time in space on a single mission.

Watch: Shubhanshu Shukla and Axiom crew to return to Earth

1. Valeri Polyakov (437 days)

The Russian cosmonaut secured the top post for spending the longest time in space, and holding the record for the longest single spaceflight. Polyakov remained 437 days aboard the Mir space station from January 8, 1994, to March 22, 1995. According to a report by the New Mexico Museum of Space History, he conducted 25 experiments on the effects of long-duration space travel, orbiting the Earth over 7,000 times before returning.

2. Sergei Avdeyev (379 days)

Sergei spent an impressive 379 days in space aboard the Mir space station between August 13, 1998, and August 28, 1999, during the Mir EO-17 and EO-18 missions. His stay was extended unexpectedly due to adjustments in another crew member’s schedule.

3. Frank Rubio (371 days)

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio set a new US spaceflight record by spending 371 consecutive days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Originally planned as a six-month mission, but the duration was extended after a coolant leak on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, which launched on September 21, 2022 and returned on September 27, 2023.

4. Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov (365 days)

Musa Manarov and Vladimir Titov became the first humans to completely orbit around the sun while in space by spending 365 days, 22 hours, and 38 minutes in orbit from December 1987 to December 1988.

5. Mark Vande Hei (355 days)

He spent 355 days aboard the ISS, whose mission began on April 9, 2021, with Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov, and landed on Earth on March 30, 2022. He orbited Earth 5,680 times and travelled over 150 million miles during his mission. Amid the space mission, he also researched muscle loss and space farming, including growing chile peppers in microgravity.

6. Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko (340 days)

Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko and NASA astronaut Scott Kelly completed a historic 340-day mission aboard the ISS in 2016. The “One-Year Mission” was launched on March 27, 2015, via Soyuz TMA-16M, focusing on human adaptation to space, conducting over 400 experiments on radiation, weightlessness, and isolation. Their findings in the 340 days of the space mission helped shape the plans of the NASA for Mars exploration.

7. Christina Koch (328 days)

Christina Koch, the NASA astronaut, spent her 328 days in space, began her space journey aboard Soyuz MS-12 on March 14, 2019, and completed on February 6, 2020, via Soyuz MS-13. She worked on cutting-edge research, including biological 3D printing and pharmaceutical studies, and finished six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalks, totalling 42 hours and 15 minutes.

8. Peggy Whitson (289 days)

Whitson spent 289 days aboard the ISS from November 17, 2016, to September 3, 2017, achieving the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at the time. She also holds the record for the most cumulative days in space, with a total of 675 days across multiple missions.

9. Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore (286 days)

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore completed an unplanned nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), returning safely to Earth on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Initially scheduled for a brief mission in June 2024, their trip was extended due to propulsion issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. They ultimately made their return via the Crew-9 Dragon capsule, landing off the coast of Florida.

10. Andrew Morgan (272 days)

NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan spent a total of 272 days aboard the ISS, completing 4,352 orbits of Earth and travelling approximately 115 million miles. His mission involved significant scientific work across biology, Earth observation, and technological innovation. Morgan also carried out seven spacewalks, including crucial repairs on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, an instrument vital to dark matter studies.