RECORD-HOLDING RUSSIAN COSMONAUT TO RETIRE
(RT.COM), 22 APR, 2017 - Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, who holds the world record for cumulative days in space, has announced his voluntary resignation from the Russian cosmonaut corps.
Padalka, 58, has already applied for step down and is expected to leave Russian Space Agency Roscosmos cosmonaut corps by April 28. The Cosmonauts’ Training Center (CTC) already confirmed receiving his application and said that it will be processed by an interdepartmental committee.
Padalka himself explained he had only small chances to join any space mission in the near future.“i had to resign. I am tired of doing nothing. There are no prospects that I will fly [to the International Space Station (ISS)],” he told TASS, explaining his decision.
At the same time, he said he would like break his own record for cumulative days at the ISS and set a new record by spending 1,000 days on orbit.