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{{for|Russian footballer|Valeri Ivanovich Polyakov}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox astronaut
|name = Valeri Polyakov
|image = Cosmonaut Polyakov Watches Discovery's Rendezvous With Mir crop.jpg
|type = [[RKA]] Cosmonaut
|status = Retired
|nationality = Russian
|birth_name = Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|4|27}}
|birth_place = [[Tula, Russia|Tula]], [[Tula Oblast]], [[Russian SFSR]]
|occupation = [[Medical Doctor]]
|selection = [[List of astronauts by year of selection#1972|Medical Group 3]]
|time = 678d 16h 32m
|mission = [[Mir EO-3]] / [[Mir EO-4]] ([[Soyuz TM-6]] / [[Soyuz TM-7]]), [[Mir EO-15]] / [[Mir EO-16]] / [[Mir EO-17]] ([[Soyuz TM-18]] / [[Soyuz TM-20]])
|insignia = [[File:Soyuz TM-6 patch.svg|35px]] [[File:Soyuz TM-18 patch.png|50px]]
|awards = [[Hero of the Soviet Union]]/[[Hero of the Russian Federation|Russian Federation]], [[Order of Lenin]], [[Legion of Honour|Order of the Legion of Honour]], [[Order of Parasat]]
|}}
'''Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov''' ({{lang-ru|Валерий Владимирович Поляков}}, born '''Valeri Ivanovich Korshunov''' on April 27, 1942) is a Russian former [[cosmonaut]]. He is the holder of the record for the longest single [[human spaceflight|spaceflight]] in human history, staying aboard the [[Mir]] [[space station]] for more than 14 months (437 days 18 hours) during one trip.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news|last=Schwirtz|first=Michael|title=Staying Put on Earth, Taking a Step to Mars|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/science/space/31mars.html|accessdate=15 May 2010|newspaper=The New York Times|date=30 March 2009}}</ref> His combined space experience is more than 22 months.<ref name=nmmuseum>{{cite web|title=Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov|url=http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=132|publisher=New Mexico Museum of Space History|accessdate=27 January 2011}}</ref>

Selected as a cosmonaut in 1972, Polyakov made his first flight into space aboard [[Soyuz TM-6]] in 1988. He returned to Earth 240 days later aboard [[Soyuz TM-7|TM-7]]. Polyakov completed his second flight into space in 1994–1995, spending 437 days in space between launching on [[Soyuz TM-18]] and landing on [[Soyuz TM-20|TM-20]], setting the record for the longest time continuously spent in space by an individual in human history.<ref name=nmmuseum/>

== Early life ==
Polyakov was born in [[Tula, Russia|Tula]], [[Tula Oblast]], [[Russian SFSR]] on April 27, 1942. Born Valeri Ivanovich Korshunov, Polyakov legally changed his name after being adopted by his stepfather in 1957. He was educated at the Tula Secondary School No. 4, from which he graduated in 1959.<ref name=nmmuseum/>

He enrolled in the I. M. Sechenov 1st Moscow Medical Institute, where he graduated with a doctoral degree. After, he enrolled in the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems, Ministry of Public Health, Moscow, where he specialized in [[Aerospace medicine|astronautics medicine]]. Polyakov dedicated himself to the field of space medicine in 1964 after the flight of the first physician in space, [[Boris Yegorov]], aboard [[Voskhod 1]].<ref name=nmmuseum/>

== Cosmonaut career ==

[[File:Cosmonaut Polyakov Watches Discovery's Rendezvous With Mir - GPN-2002-000078.jpg|thumb|right|Polyakov observes rendezvous operations with the [[Space Shuttle Discovery|Space Shuttle ''Discovery'']] on its [[STS-63]] mission through a window on the [[Mir Core Module]] in February 1995.]]

Polyakov was selected as a cosmonaut in [[List of astronauts by year of selection#1972|Medical Group 3]] on March 22, 1972. His first flight into space occurred on [[Soyuz TM-6]] in 1988. After staying aboard the Mir space station and conducting research for 240 days, Polyakov returned to Earth aboard [[Soyuz TM-7]].<ref name=nmmuseum/>

Polyakov's second spaceflight, the longest human spaceflight in history, began on January 8, 1994 with the launch of the [[Soyuz TM-18]] mission. He spent approximately 437 days aboard Mir conducting experiments and performing scientific research. During this flight, he completed just over 7,000 orbits of the Earth. On January 9, 1995, after 366 days in space, Polyakov formally broke the spaceflight duration record previously set by [[Vladimir Titov]] and [[Musa Manarov]] six years earlier.<ref name=leavingearth>{{cite book|last=Zimmerman|first=Robert|title=Leaving earth: space stations, rival superpowers, and the quest for interplanetary travel|year=2003|publisher=Joseph Henry Press|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-309-08548-9|pages=366–372|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0e2vl0sev2IC&pg=PA372&dq=valeri+polyakov#v=onepage&q=valeri%20polyakov&f=false}}</ref> He returned to Earth aboard [[Soyuz TM-20]] on March 22, 1995.<ref name=nmmuseum/> Upon landing, Polyakov opted not to be carried the few feet between the [[Soyuz-TM|Soyuz capsule]] and a nearby lawn chair, instead walking the short distance. In doing so, he wished to prove that humans could be physically capable of working on the surface of [[Mars]] after a long-duration transit phase.<ref name=wired>{{cite news|last=Madrigal|first=Alexis|title=March 22, 1995: Longest Human Space Adventure Ends|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/03/0322cosmonaut-space-record/|accessdate=23 June 2016|newspaper=Wired.com|date=22 March 2010}}</ref>

Polyakov volunteered for his 437-day flight to learn how the human body would respond to the [[Micro-g environment|micro-gravity]] environment on long-duration missions to Mars.<ref name=wired/> Upon returning from his second spaceflight, Polyakov held the record for the most total time in space. This record, however, was later broken by [[Sergei Avdeyev]] and is currently held by [[Gennady Padalka]].<ref name=wired/><ref name=mirnasa/> Data from Polyakov's flight has been used by researchers to determine that humans are able to maintain a healthy mental state during long-duration spaceflight just as they would on Earth.<ref name="journal">{{cite journal|last1=Manzey|first1=Dietrich |last2=Lorenz|first2=Bernd |last3=Poljakov|first3=Valeri |title=Mental performance in extreme environments: results from a performance monitoring study during a 438-day spaceflight|journal=Ergonomics|date=1 April 1998|volume=41|issue=4|pages=537–559|doi=10.1080/001401398186991|url=http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all?content=10.1080/001401398186991|accessdate=28 January 2011|pmid=9557591}}</ref>

Polyakov underwent medical assessments before, during, and after the flight. He also underwent two follow-up examinations six months after returning to Earth. When researchers compared the results of these medical exams, it was revealed that although there were no impairments of [[Jungian cognitive functions|cognitive functions]], Polyakov experienced a clear decline in mood as well as a feeling of increased workload during the first few weeks of spaceflight and return to Earth.<ref name="journal"/><ref name=sy>{{cite web|title=March 22nd, 1995 – 15th Anniversary of Valeri Polyakov’s return to Earth|url=http://spaceyuga.com/march-22nd-1995-15th-anniversary-valeri-polyakovs-return-earth/|publisher=Space Yuga|accessdate=2 June 2011}}</ref> However, Polyakov's mood stabilized to pre-flight levels between the second and fourteenth month of his mission. It was also revealed that Polyakov did not suffer from any prolonged performance impairments after returning to Earth. In light of these findings, researchers concluded that a stable mood and overall function could be maintained during extended duration spaceflights, such as [[Manned mission to Mars|manned missions to Mars]].<ref name="journal"/>

=== Spaceflights ===
*[[Soyuz TM-6]] / [[Soyuz TM-7]] – August 28, 1988 to April 27, 1989 – 240 days, 22 hours, 34 minutes
*[[Soyuz TM-18]] / [[Soyuz TM-20]] – January 8, 1994 to March 22, 1995 – 437 days, 17 hours, 58 minutes

== Personal life ==

Polyakov retired from his position as a cosmonaut in June 1995, with a total of just over 678 days in space.<ref name=nmmuseum/><ref name=astronautix>{{cite web|title=Polyakov |url=http://www.astronautix.com/astros/polyakov.htm |publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica |accessdate=27 January 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302031757/http://www.astronautix.com/astros/polyakov.htm |archivedate=March 2, 2009 }}</ref> He participated in experiment SFINCSS-99 (Simulation of Flight of International Crew on Space Station) in 1999.<ref>{{cite book|title=Валерий Владимирович Поляков|year=2011|url=http://www.astronaut.ru/crossroad/210.htm}}</ref> Polyakov is currently the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Public Health in Moscow, where he oversees the medical aspects of long-duration space missions.<ref name=nmmuseum/> He is a member of the Russian Chief Medical Commission, participating in the qualification and selection of cosmonauts. He also holds membership in the International Space Researcher's Association and the [[International Academy of Astronautics]].<ref name=nmmuseum/><ref name=iaa>{{cite web|title=Membership List|url=http://www.iaaweb.org/iaa/Membership/membershiplist.pdf|publisher=International Academy of Astronautics|accessdate=19 July 2011}}</ref> Polyakov is married and has one child.<ref name=astronautix/>

Since returning from space, Polyakov remained active in the discipline of international spaceflight, becoming a "cosmonaut-investigator" for the United States, Austria, Germany, and France during their respective space science missions to the Mir space station.<ref name=nmmuseum/>

== Legacy ==

Polyakov has won several awards for his spaceflight and academic achievements, including the [[Hero of the Soviet Union]]/[[Hero of the Russian Federation|Russian Federation]], [[Order of Lenin]], [[Legion of Honour|Order of the Legion of Honour]], and the [[Order of Parasat]]. He is a member of organizations related to [[astronautics]], including the Russian Chief Medical Commission on cosmonauts' certification.<ref name=nmmuseum/>

Polyakov holds the title of "Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR" and has published several works pertaining to [[life sciences]], medical aspects of space missions, and the results of research conducted on long-duration spaceflights.<ref name=nmmuseum/>

Polyakov's record for longest ''cumulative'' time in space of 678 days over two missions stood until surpassed in 1999 by cosmonaut [[Sergei Avdeyev]] with a total of 747 days in space during three different missions.<ref name=nmmuseum/><ref name=mirnasa>{{cite web|title=Mir Space Station|url=http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4225/mir/mir.htm|publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|accessdate=24 September 2011}}</ref>

==Honours and awards==
*[[Hero of the Russian Federation]]
*[[Hero of the Soviet Union]]
*[[Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR]]
*[[Order of Lenin]]
*[[Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"]]
*[[Order of Parasat]] (Kazakhstan)
*Officer of the [[Legion of Honour]] (France)
*Hero of the Republic of Afghanistan
*Order "The Sun of Liberty" (Afghanistan)

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Russia|Spaceflight}}
*[[List of spaceflight records]]
*[[Manned mission to Mars]]
*[[Human spaceflight]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/cosmonauts/english/polyakov_valeri.htm Spacefacts biography]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polyakov, Valeri}}
[[Category:Heroes of the Russian Federation]]
[[Category:Heroes of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Parasat]]
[[Category:People from Tula, Russia]]
[[Category:Russian cosmonauts]]
[[Category:Soviet cosmonauts]]
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Physician astronauts]]
[[Category:Soviet physicians]]
[[Category:20th-century physicians]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Lenin]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"]]
[[Category:Officiers of the Légion d'honneur]]

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