‘Record Broken’: 19 people currently in space, the highest number of humans in orbit
Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Record Number of People in Earth Orbit
With the launch of three astronauts aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule on September 11, the number of people in Earth’s orbit reached a new high of 19, surpassing the previous record of 17 set last year.
Soyuz Launch to ISS
The Soyuz spacecraft is carrying NASA astronaut Don Pettit and cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner to the International Space Station (ISS). They are expected to arrive three hours after launch.
Crowded ISS Crew
The three new arrivals will join nine crew members already aboard the ISS, including astronauts from NASA and Roscosmos. The current ISS occupants include Michael Barratt, Tracy Caldwell-Dyson, and several other astronauts.
Starliner Mission Issues
NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams were supposed to return from the ISS earlier on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, thruster issues extended their stay, and they will now return to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in February.
China’s Tiangong Station
China’s Tiangong space station currently has three astronauts from the Shenzhou 18 mission aboard, adding to the growing number of space inhabitants.
Polaris Dawn Crew in Orbit
Four astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon “Resilience,” part of the Polaris Dawn mission, are also in orbit. Their spacecraft has travelled farther from Earth than any crewed vehicle since the Apollo missions, and two crew members will conduct a private spacewalk soon.
Suborbital Flights and Space Records
The total record for people in space, including suborbital flights, stands at 20, set by Virgin Galactic in May 2023. However, if only counting those reaching the Kármán line, today’s 19 orbiting astronauts tie the record set by Blue Origin’s NS-19 flight in December 2021.
Credit : Virgin Galactic