Astronaut Sets Record for Time in Space

Astronaut Sets Record for Time in Space
Update for 8:30 a.m. EST, Tuesday, Dec. 9:

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Astronaut Michael Foale set a U.S. record Monday for the most accumulated time in space: 231 days and counting, during six missions.

The International Space Station resident broke the record set by fellow astronaut Carl Walz when he returned from the orbiting outpost in 2002.

Walz called Foale to congratulate him as his own record -- 230 days, 13 hours, three minutes and 37 seconds -- slipped into second place.

"Carl, that's awfully big of you to come along and grovel like this on radio," Foale joked. He noted that he, in fact, has to grovel before his Russian crewmate Alexander Kaleri; the cosmonaut beats him by 238 days in orbit.

Foale lived aboard Russia's Mir space station for nearly five months in 1997. He and Kaleri flew to the ISS in October for a six-month stay.

Walz still holds the U.S. record for the longest single spaceflight, 196 days, along with astronaut Daniel Bursch.

Let's see, Dennis Tito spent $20 million for 6 days on the ISS.

At that rate, Michael Foale & Alexander Kaleri will be approaching $1 Billion.

However you look at it, Congratulations to Michael & Alex