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NASA Astronaut breaks US record for most hours in space

Jeff Williams' will complete 534 days in the space station, which puts him on the 14th spot of all-time endurance list for astronauts and cosmonauts

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NASA astonaut Jeff Williams has broken Scott Kelly's US record for the most time spent by an American astronaut in the space station. 
In a release sent by NASA, Williams surpassed 520 days living in space, breaking Scott Kelly’s previous record for most cumulative time spent in space by a U.S. astronaut, set during Kelly’s year-long mission.
By the time Williams returns home on Sept. 6, he’ll leave us with a new total of 534 days.
The first 10 of Williams’ 520 days were spent on Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-101 in 2000, back when the International Space Station was still under construction. As a flight engineer and spacewalker for the mission, he helped prepare the space station for its first crew, which arrived less than five months later. 
When Williams returned in 2006 for his first long duration stay as part of Expedition 13, the space station had grown significantly and he spent six long months here.
He returned in 2009 for his first stint commanding the space station. While he was away, the station continued to grow, adding the Harmony node, the European Columbus laboratory and the Japanese Kibo laboratory. And over the course of his stay for Expedition 21/22, he saw the arrival of the Poisk Russian Mini Research Module and two space shuttle missions, one of which delivered Tranquility node and the space station cupola.
Williams began his current visit to the station with more than 362 days in space. When he leaves the station again, the 534 days that Williams will have racked up will earn him the 14th spot on the all-time endurance list for astronauts and cosmonauts, in addition to the top ranking for U.S. astronauts. But he won’t hold on to the position for long – Peggy Whitson is scheduled to surpass him in 2017 during her next mission, which launches in November.

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