Kononenko, whose childhood dream was space exploration, expressed pride in his feat but pointed out his primary motive was passion, not record-setting. He anticipates surpassing 1,000 days in space by June 5 and approaching just over three years by late September.

Despite the challenges of being away, including missing his children's growth, Kononenko stays connected with family through video calls and maintains well-being through regular exercise.

Surpassing fellow Russian Gennady Padalka's 2015 record, Kononenko is part of a distinguished lineage of Russian space pioneers.

His record underscores Russia's rejuvenated space ambitions amidst political cooperation hurdles, as the space station orbits Earth at around 263 miles altitude and completes a circuit approximately every 90 minutes.

Russia and the U.S. continue to collaborate on ISS missions, with plans extending until 2025 despite geopolitical strains.