Valery Polyakov was a Russian cosmonaut who holds the record for most consecutive days in outer space.
- Died: September 19, 2022 (Who else died on September 19?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 80.
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Fourteen months in space
Polyakov specialized in space medicine in his studies, and he became a cosmonaut in 1972. He took his first spaceflight in 1988, traveling to the Mir space station, where he remained for 280 days. Polyakov returned to space for his record-setting stay in 1994. Again traveling to Mir, he remained for 437 days in a project testing the endurance of the human body in space over long periods. Aiming to prove that humans could survive a flight to Mars and be ready to work when they arrived, Polyakov worked out on Mir and returned to Earth looking “like he could wrestle a bear,” according to U.S. astronaut Norman Thagard. In addition to staying fit in space, Polyakov grew three inches, from six feet two inches to six feet five inches, as the spine decompresses in microgravity. His mental state was also deemed stable throughout his stay on Mir. Though astronauts are typically carried from the capsule after a long stay on the space station, Polyakov insisted on walking to his chair, where he smoked a cigarette and sipped brandy. His 437-day stay on Mir remains the longest trip to space in history.
Notable quote
“I felt very good during the whole flight – on the [launch], during the time on the orbit, and during the landing. It can be explained because I am a specialist in space medicine. I know how to use the methods of control, all of the things that protect you, how to use countermeasures the best.” —from a 1996 oral history interview
Tributes to Valery Polyakov
Full obituary: The New York Times
