Russians Set Record for Longest ISS Stay

Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub have set a new benchmark for the longest continuous stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Roscosmos announced on Friday that the duo surpassed the previous record of 370 days, 21 hours, and 22 minutes, established in September 2023 by Sergei Prokopiev, Dmitry Petelin, and American Francisco Rubio. Kononenko and Chub are expected to return to Earth on Monday.

Kononenko, aged 59, is no stranger to space records. He already holds the title for the most cumulative time spent in space, tallying up to 1,110 days over five missions by the time he lands in Kazakhstan next week. American astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been on the ISS for most of the Russians' record-setting stint. Originally scheduled for an eight-day mission in June, their stay was unexpectedly extended due to issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule, which returned to Earth without them. They are now anticipated to return in February. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)