Valery Polyakov, took longest single trip to space, dies at 80

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Valery Polyakov, the Soviet cosmonaut who set the record for the longest single stay in space, has died at age 80. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Polyakov's record of 437 days in space began on January 8, 1994.

• While aboard Mir, he orbited the Earth more than 7,000 times, before returning to Earth on March 22, 1995.

• Prior to this, Polyakov had spent 288 days in space on a mission in 1988-89.

• This was his first mission into space, he returned to Earth in the year 1989 after 8 months.

• The cause of death was not given in the announcement by the space agency Roscosmos.