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Today in History: Valeri Polyakov sets record for longest spaceflight

3/22/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On March 22, 1995, Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TM-20 after a record-setting 437 days in space. His mission aboard the Mir space station marked the longest single spaceflight in history, contributing significantly to our understanding of long-duration human space travel and its effects on the body.

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Story summary

On March 22, 1995, Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TM-20 after a record-setting 437 days in space. His mission aboard the Mir space station marked the longest single spaceflight in history, contributing significantly to our understanding of long-duration human space travel and its effects on the body.