Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka has set a new world record for spending more time in space than any other human, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Monday.
Padalka, who is currently commanding the 44th expedition to the International Space Station, has now spent a total of 803 days (two years, two months) of his life in space, RIA cited an agency spokesman as saying.
The previous record was held by cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov, who was in space when the Soviet Union collapsed and returned to Earth in December 1992 as world's "the last Soviet citizen."
Padalka, on his fifth trip into space, will return to Earth on Sept. 11, according to RIA. By the end of the trip, he will have spent more than 877 days (two years, four months) in space.
The 57-year-old year old cosmonaut first left Earth in 1998, when he spent 199 days on board the Mir space station. He also made trips to the International Space Station in 2004, 2009 and 2012 before returning there on March 27 this year.
He has completed several space walks and a number scientific experiments during his time in space.
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