Oleg Kononenko

This article is about the Russian cosmonaut. For the Soviet cosmonaut with a similar name, seeOleg Grigoriyevich Kononenko.

In this name that followsEastern Slavic naming customs,thepatronymicisDmitriyevichand thefamily nameisKononenko.

Oleg Kononenko
Олег Кононенко
Kononenko in 2022
Born	Oleg Dmitriyevich Kononenko (1964-06-21)21 June 1964 Chardzhou,Turkmen SSR,Soviet Union
Status	Active
Nationality	Russian
Occupation	Engineer
Awards	Hero of the Russian Federation Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation Hero of Turkmenistan Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
Space career
Roscosmos cosmonaut
Time in space	1,110days, 14hours, 57minutes
Selection	MKS Cosmonaut Group (1996)
TotalEVAs	7
Total EVA time	44hours, 30minutes
Missions	Soyuz TMA-12(Expedition 17) Soyuz TMA-03M(Expedition 30/31) Soyuz TMA-17M(Expedition 44/45) Soyuz MS-11(Expedition 57/58/59) Soyuz MS-24/MS-25(Expedition 69/70/71)
Mission insignia

Oleg Dmitriyevich Kononenko(‹See Tfd›Russian:Олег Дмитриевич Кононенко;Turkmen:Oleg Dmitriýewiç Kononenko;born 21 June 1964) is a Russiancosmonaut.He has flown to theInternational Space Stationfive times as a flight engineer forExpedition 17aboardSoyuz TMA-12,as a flight engineer onExpedition 30and commander ofExpedition 31aboardSoyuz TMA-03M,as a flight engineer onExpedition 44andExpedition 45aboardSoyuz TMA-17M,as a flight engineer onExpedition 57and commander ofExpedition 58andExpedition 59aboardSoyuz MS-11,and as a flight engineer onExpedition 69andExpedition 70and commander ofExpedition 71aboardSoyuz MS-24/Soyuz MS-25.

Kononenko has accumulated 1,111 days in space over the course of five long-duration missions on the ISS. On 4 February 2024, at 07:30:08 UTC, he broke the record for themost time spent in spacepreviously held byGennady Padalkaat 878 days.

Early life and career

Oleg Kononenko was born on 21 June 1964 inChardzhou,Turkmen SSR(nowTürkmenabat,Turkmenistan) to a simple family. His father Dmitry Ivanovich Kononenko worked as a driver in a freight trucking company, and his mother Taisiya Stepanovna Churakova was a communications operator at theTürkmenabat Airport.Kononenko graduated from high school No. 15 of Turkmenabat city, where he received excellent marks in the subject of theTurkmen language.

Education

After school, Oleg Kononenko was not able to enter the Kharkov Aviation Institute the first time. He returned home, worked for a year in the tool shop of theTürkmenabat Airportaviation technical base.The second attempt was successful. Kononenko graduated from theN. E. ZhukovskiyKharkiv Aviation Institutein 1988 as amechanical engineer.

Experience

After graduation, Kononenko worked at the Russian Space Agency's Central Specialized Design BureauTsSKB-ProgressinKuybishev,starting as an engineer and working his way up to the leading design engineer. His responsibilities included system design, analysis, and development of spacecraft electrical power systems.

Cosmonaut career

Oleg Kononenko floats through theDestiny Laboratoryof the Space Station.

On 29 March 1996, Oleg was selected as a cosmonaut candidate by the Interagency Committee, and from June 1996 to March 1998, he underwent cosmonaut training at theGagarin Cosmonaut Training Center,and on 20 March 1998, was awarded the title of test cosmonaut by the Interagency Qualification Committee.In October 1998 he began training as part of the group of cosmonauts selected for theInternational Space Station(ISS) program.

From December 2001 through April 2002, Kononenko trained as a backup flight engineer for theSoyuz TM-34vehicle for the third ISS visiting crew. From March 2002 through February 2004, he trained as the flight engineer for the Soyuz TMA vehicle and theExpedition 9andExpedition 11primary crews. From March 2004 through March 2006, he trained as part of the group of cosmonauts selected for the ISS program. In March 2006, Kononenko began training as a flight engineer for the Soyuz TMA-12 vehicle and the Expedition 17 crew.

Expedition 30flight engineer Oleg Kononenko performs a SPRUT-2 experiment run in theZvezda Service Moduleof the Space Station.

Expedition 17

Kononenko was a flight engineer on both theExpedition 17mission to the International Space Station, and theSoyuz TMA-12mission that flew him there. The crew launched on 8 April 2008 and landed on 24 October 2008.Kononenko spent 199 days in space.

Spacewalker Oleg Kononenko seen outside the Space Station on 12 February 2012.

Kononenko conducted his first spacewalk on 10 July 2008 when he ventured into space from thePirsdocking compartmentairlock of the ISS.He and cosmonaut Volkov inspected their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft and retrieved a pyro bolt from it. This spacewalk lasted 6 hours and 18 minutes.

On 15 July 2008, Kononenko again went outside fromPirsto conduct his second spacewalk.Kononenko and Volkov installed one experiment and retrieved another. They also continued to outfit the station's exterior, including the installation of a docking target on theZvezdaservice module. The spacewalk was in RussianOrlan suitsand Kononenko wore an Orlan suit with blue stripes. The spacewalk lasted 5 hours and 54 minutes.

Kononenko returned to Earth with Expedition 17 commanderSergei Volkovandspaceflight participantRichard Garriott(who launched aboardSoyuz TMA-13to the ISS on 12 October 2008 with theExpedition 18crew).They landed at 11:37 p.mEDT55 miles north ofArkalyk,Kazakhstan.They were flown to theBaikonur Cosmodromeby helicopter, and then went on toZvezdny Gorodok(Star City),Moscow.

Expedition 30/31

On 21 December 2011, Kononenko, along withAndré KuipersandDonald Pettit,launched to the International Space Station to join the crew ofExpedition 30.He, along with his fellow crewmembers, arrived at the space station on December 23.On 12 February 2012, Kononenko and colleague cosmonautAnton Shkaplerovwere scheduled to conduct a six-hour spacewalk outside the ISS. They installed shields on the Zvezda Service Module to protect it from micrometeoroid orbital debris and moved the Strela 1 crane from the Pirs docking compartment to the Poisk Mini Research Module (MRM-2). The two cosmonauts also installed struts on a ladder used by spacewalkers on the Pirs Docking Compartment. As another get-ahead task, they also installed an experiment called Vynoslivost on the Poisk Mini Research Module. As part of the Vynoslivost or "Endurance" experiment, two trays of metal samples would be left exposed on the surface of the Poisk Module.The crew returned to Earth on 1 July 2012.

Expedition 44/45

On 22 July 2015, Kononenko launched to the International Space Station as Soyuz commander, together with NASA astronautKjell LindgrenandKimiya Yuifrom the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) onSoyuz-TMA-17M.They spent 5 months on the International Space Station as members of theExpedition 44andExpedition 45crews. The trio returned to Earth in rare night landing on 11 December 2015, when theirSoyuz TMA-17Mlanded safely on the steppe of Kazakhstan. Kononenko spent 142 days in space on his third mission.

Expedition 57/58/59

Kononenko on EVA to examine the external hull ofSoyuz MS-09,standing on aStrelacrane, on 11 December 2018

Kononenko launched towards the ISS for the fourth time as Soyuz commander ofSoyuz MS-11on 3 December 2018 as a flight engineer onExpedition 57.He was originally scheduled to be serving as a flight engineer onExpedition 58and commander onExpedition 59,although due to the launch failure ofSoyuz MS-10on 11 October 2018, the original Expedition 58 commander,Aleksey Ovchininwas no longer aboard the station for Expedition 58, therefore Kononenko commanded both Expedition 58 and Expedition 59. Expedition 58 started on 20 December 2018 with the departure ofSoyuz MS-09.Kononenko and fellow crew membersAnne McClainandDavid Saint-Jacquesreturned to Earth on 24 June 2019, after 203 days 15 hours and 16 minutes in space.

Kononenko always warmly recalls his stay in his motherland -Turkmenistan.On 31 December 2018 Kononenko showed theflag of Turkmenistanand the book "Turkmenistan is the heart of the Great Silk Road" ofGurbanguly Berdymukhamedovfrom the ISS and wishes Happy New Year from the orbit of all Turkmenistan citizens.The astronaut also noted that he has special feelings for the country where he was born and grew up, proud and rejoiced at her achievements.

Expedition 69/70/71

In June 2020, Kononenko announced that he was planned to return to the ISS. In September 2023, he launched aboardSoyuz MS-24.He was assigned for a year mission with his Russian crew memberNikolai Chubthat started on September 15, 2023. As the mission lasted 374 days, Kononenko spent a total of 1,111 days in space by the time he returned to Earth onSoyuz MS-25.He broke the world record of 878 days in space held byGennady Padalkaon February 4, 2024 at 07:30:08 UTC. He later became the first person to stay 900, 1,000, and 1,100 days in space on 25 February 2024, 4 June 2024, and 12 September 2024 respectively.

Personal life

Kononenko studied at a specialized school of volleyball, was a member of the youth team of Turkmenistan.

He is married to Tatyana Mikhailovna Kononenko (née Yurieva). They have a son, Andrey Olegovich Kononenko, and a daughter, Alisa Olegovna Kononenko. Oleg enjoys reading and team sports.

In 2015, he was elected to public office inKorolyov.

Honors and awards

Hero of Russia Oleg Kononenko with the Russian president Vladimir Putin

• Hero of the Russian Federation(5 February 2009) - for courage and heroism during space flight
• Hero of Turkmenistan(2019)
• Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"(12 April 2011) - for great achievements in the field of research, development and utilization of outer space, many years of diligent work, public activities
• Star of President Order(Turkmenistan, 16 February 2009) - In recognition of service to the government and people of Turkmenistan, for personal courage, professionalism and achievement in the performance of an international program of peaceful space exploration.
• Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation(2009)
• Gagarin Medal
• Honorary Citizen ofGagarin,Smolensk Oblast(24 February 2011) - years of excellence, a deep sense of personal responsibility, the ability to navigate the complex situation and make the right decisions for his devotion to his country and the continuation of the stellar feats of Yuri Gagarin
• NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal(US, 2008)
• NASA Space Flight Medal(USA, 2008)

References

This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom websites or documents of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration.

External links

• Spacefacts biography of Oleg Kononenko