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Valeri Polyakov
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<p>Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov was a Soviet and Russian <a href="/facts/Cosmonaut/HB1bd6Lz">cosmonaut</a>. He is the record holder for the <a href="/facts/Timeline_of_longest_spaceflights/mAVKSluI">longest single stay in space</a>, staying aboard the <a href="/facts/Mir/pILadPoB">Mir space station</a> for more than 14 months (437 days, 18 hours) during one trip. His combined space experience was more than 22 months. </p><p>Selected as a cosmonaut in 1972, Polyakov made his first flight into space aboard <a href="/facts/Soyuz_TM-6/dHRyWX35">Soyuz TM-6</a> in 1988. He returned to Earth 240 days later aboard <a href="/facts/Soyuz_TM-7/totCyCl7">TM-7</a>. Polyakov completed his second flight into space in 1994–1995, spending 437 days in space between launching on <a href="/facts/Soyuz_TM-18/oAR2unjz">Soyuz TM-18</a> and landing with <a href="/facts/Soyuz_TM-20/gSqck0FY">TM-20</a>, setting the record for the longest time continuously spent in space by an individual. </p>