Top 10 astronauts who spent the longest time in space on a single mission; see Sunita Williams’ rank here

However, Williams and Wilmore are not alone in this experience. Many astronauts before them have endured long-duration missions, some spending over a year in space, pushing the limits of human adaptability. From record-holder Valeri Polyakov to endurance pioneers like Scott Kelly and Pyotr Dubrov, these astronauts have defied gravity for months on end.

Here’s the full list of astronauts who spent the longest time in space on a single mission, based on data from Nasa and Space.com.

List of NASA astronauts who spent the longest time in space on a single mission

Valeri Polyakov – 437 days

Valeri Polyakov (@sayan_dey/X)

Polyakov holds the record for the longest single spaceflight. He spent 437 days aboard the Mir space station from January 8, 1994 to March 22, 1995. A trained astronautical physician, he conducted 25 experiments on the effects of long-duration space travel. He orbited Earth over 7,000 times before returning, according to the New Mexico Museum of Space History.

Sergei Avdeyev – 379 days

This cosmonaut spent 379 days in space during his mission aboard the Mir space station from August 13, 1998 to August 28, 1999, as part of Mir EO-17 and EO-18. His mission was unexpectedly extended due to changes in another crew member’s schedule. “I was prepared for a longer flight, but I never thought it would be twice as long,” Avdeyev, from Russia, told Nasa in 2015.

Frank Rubio – 371 days

Frank Rubio (NASA)

Rubio, a Nasa astronaut, set a new United States of America spaceflight record by spending 371 consecutive days aboard the ISS. Launched on September 21, 2022, aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-22, his six-month mission was extended due to a coolant leak. He finally returned on September 27, 2023, after orbiting Earth 5,963 times and traveling 157 million miles.

Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov – 365 days

Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov became the first humans to complete a full orbit around the sun while in space. As crew members aboard the Mir space station, they spent 365 days, 22 hours, and 38 minutes in orbit from December 1987 to December 1988, just short of a full year.

Mark Vande Hei – 355 days

Mark Vande Hei (NASA)

Mark Vande Hei spent 355 days aboard the ISS, launching on April 9, 2021, with Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov, and returning on March 30, 2022, alongside Anton Shkaplerov and Dubrov. During his mission, he orbited Earth 5,680 times, traveled over 150 million miles, and contributed to research on muscle loss and space farming, including growing chile peppers in microgravity.

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko – 340 days

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko (NASA)

In 2016, Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko completed a historic 340-day mission aboard the ISS. Launched on March 27, 2015, via Soyuz TMA-16M, their “One-Year Mission” focused on human adaptation to space, conducting over 400 experiments on weightlessness, radiation, and isolation. Their findings helped shape NASA’s plans for Mars exploration.

Christina Koch – 328 days

Christina Koch (NASA)

Nasa astronaut Christina Koch spent 328 days in space, launching aboard Soyuz MS-12 on March 14, 2019, and returning on February 6, 2020, via Soyuz MS-13. As a Flight Engineer on ISS Expeditions 59, 60, and 61, she worked on cutting-edge research, including biological 3D printing and pharmaceutical studies. She also completed six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalks, totaling 42 hours and 15 minutes.

Peggy Whitson – 289 days

Peggy Whitson (NASA)

From November 17, 2016, to September 3, 2017, Whitson spent 289 days aboard the ISS, setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at the time. She also holds the NASA record for the most cumulative days in space, having spent a total of 675 days in orbit across multiple missions.

Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore – 286 days

Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore (NASA)

After an unexpected nine-month stay aboard the ISS, Nasa astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned safely to Earth on Wednesday, March 19. Originally set for a short trip in June 2024, their Boeing Starliner spacecraft was grounded due to propulsion issues, forcing them to extend their mission. They finally splashed down off Florida’s coast in their Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft.

Andrew Morgan – 272 days

Andrew Morgan (NASA)

Nasa astronaut Andrew Morgan spent 272 days in space, orbiting Earth 4,352 times and traveling 115 million miles. He conducted groundbreaking research in biology, Earth science, and technology. Morgan also performed seven spacewalks, including critical repairs to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a key instrument for dark matter research.