Kondakova, Yelena (c. 1955–)

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Kondakova, Yelena (c. 1955–)

Soviet cosmonaut. Name variations: Elena Kondakova. Born c. 1955; m. Valeri Ryumin (cosmonaut and director of Russia's end of the Mir-shuttle program who went on 3 space flights).

With her 169-day Mir mission (1995), held the record for the longest space flight by a woman until Shannon Lucid topped it (1996); became 1st Russian woman to fly on a US spaceship (1997).