Russian cosmonaut, Hero of Russia Oleg Dmitrievich Kononenko was born on June 21, 1964 in the city of Chardzhou, Turkmen SSR (now Turkmenabad, Turkmenistan).
In 1988 he graduated from the Kharkov Aviation Institute named after N.E. Zhukovsky (now the National Aerospace University named after N. E. Zhukovsky «Kharkiv Aviation Institute») with a degree in «Aircraft Engines» with the qualification «mechanical engineer».
From April 1988 to December 1998 he worked at the Central specialized design bureau of the State Research and Production Rocket and Space Center «TsSKB-Progress» (now — JSC «Rocket and Space Center «Progress», Samara), where he worked his way from an engineer to a leading design engineer. He was engaged in the design of electrical systems of spacecraft .
On March 29, 1996, he was enrolled as a candidate test cosmonaut from TsSKB-Progress.
From June 1996 to March 1998, he underwent general space training at the Research Testing Center for Cosmonaut Training (NII TsPK) named after Yu.A. Gagarin», upon completion he received the qualification of «test cosmonaut».
In January 1999, he was transferred to the position of test cosmonaut at RSC Energia named after S.P. Korolev.
From January 2011 – 2nd class test cosmonaut instructor, from August 2012 – 1st class test cosmonaut instructor, from December 2012 – 1st class test cosmonaut instructor – head of a group of test cosmonaut instructors at the Research Institute Cosmonaut Cosmonaut named after Yu . A. Gagarin.
Since October 2013 — 1st class test cosmonaut instructor — deputy commander of the Roscosmos cosmonaut detachment for research and testing.
Since November 2016 — test cosmonaut instructor, commander of the Roscosmos cosmonaut corps.
Since July 2021 — test cosmonaut instructor — deputy head of the Yu.A. Gagarin for cosmonaut training, commander of the Roscosmos cosmonaut corps.
Oleg Kononenko made his first space flight to the International Space Station (ISS) from April 8 to October 24, 2008 as a flight engineer of the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft and a flight engineer of ISS-17. Together with cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, he performed two spacewalks for a total of 12 hours and 16 minutes. The flight duration was 198 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes, and 11 seconds.
Kononenko made his second space flight to the ISS from December 21, 2011 to July 1, 2012 as part of the crew of the 30/31st long-term expedition to the ISS as the commander of the Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft, flight engineer of ISS-30, and commander of ISS-31. During the flight, he performed a spacewalk lasting 6 hours and 15 minutes. The flight duration was 192 days 18 hours 58 minutes 37 seconds.
The cosmonaut made his third space flight from July 23 to December 11, 2015 as commander of the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft and flight engineer of ISS-44/45. For the first time in the world, he controlled ground-based robots from space using “force-sensing” technology. A total of 12 experimental sessions were performed. The flight duration was 141 days 16 hours 16 minutes 46 seconds.
Kononenko made his fourth flight from December 3, 2018 to June 25, 2019 as commander of the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft. On December 11, 2018, together with Sergei Prokopyev, he made an unscheduled spacewalk lasting seven hours and 45 minutes. In a high-risk environment and for the first time in orbit, the astronauts opened the outer skin of the ISS due to a sudden drop in pressure at the station. The through hole was sealed and the station's airtightness was restored. The second spacewalk is May 29-30, 2019, together with Alexey Ovchinin, lasting six hours and one minute. During it, Kononenko was the first to carry out a unique experiment, “Magnetic 3D bioprinter,” to grow living tissues in space. This research has provided Russia with an undeniable global priority in the implementation of magnetic biofabrication technology in space. He was also the first to carry out the “Visir” experiment to study methods for recording the current position and orientation of portable scientific equipment of object coordinate systems using “smart shelves.” For the first time on board the ISS, he tested space fire extinguishers and for the first time in the history of the station he worked in an insulating space gas mask IPC. Participated in the first releases of the new project of Roscosmos and the social network VKontakte — “ISS in touch”, created to promote the achievements of domestic manned cosmonautics. The flight duration was 203 days 15 hours 15 minutes 55 seconds.
On September 15, 2023, Kononenko, together with cosmonaut Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara (USA), launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome as commander of the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft and commander of ISS-70/71. On April 25, together with Nikolai Chub, he performed a spacewalk lasting four hours and 36 minutes.
February 4, 2024, Oleg Kononenko became the world record holder for the total duration of space flights. He exceeded the achievement of compatriot Gennady Padalka, who accumulated a total of 878 days 11 hours 29 minutes 48 seconds over five space flights.
On June 5, 2024, Kononenko became the first person in history whose total space flight time exceeded one thousand days. Upon completion of the fifth flight, scheduled for September 23, 2024, this figure will be 1,110 days.
Reserve lieutenant (1988).
Hero of the Russian Federation (2009).
Awarded the Order «For Merit to the Fatherland» II (2020), III (2017) and IV degrees (2014), the medal «For Merit in Space Exploration» (2011).
Laureate of the Russian Government Prize named after Yuri Gagarin in the field of space activities (2021).
Among the awards of foreign states are the gold medal of the Hero of Turkmenistan (2019), the Order of Turkmenistan «Star of the President» (2009), the Order of the Netherlands «Orange-Nassau» (2013).
He was awarded the signs of Roscosmos: Gagarin (2006), Korolev (2008), Tsiolkovsky (2015), «For assistance to space activities» (2012), «For loyalty to space» (2019), as well as NASA (USA) medals: «For outstanding public service» (2008, 2012), «For space flight» (2008, 2012).
Oleg Kononenko is married, the family has two children.
The material was prepared on the basis of information and open sources