THE POPULATION OF SPACE

At the time of this writing, February 11th, 2008, the population of space is ten.

Below is a history, year by year, of the population of space. Recent years are on top, earlier years are below. The column labeled RUS shows how many people went into space, during that year, aboard a Soviet/CIS/Russian launch vehicle. The column labeled USA shows how many went into space aboard an American launch vehicle. And the column labeled CHI is for the Chinese. TOT is the sum of the three. HI is the highest population in space at the same time during that year, and LOW is the lowest population during that year. This is based on space starting at 100 miles up, so the X-Prize winners, and X-15 flights are not included. The only suborbital flights that are included here are the first two Mercury flights and Soyuz 18-1.

The all time record is 13 people in space at once, and it has been tied several times. Often that number comes up when three people are on a space station, and three people are on a Soyuz, and seven people are on a Space Shuttle.

Year     RUS    USA    CHI    TOT    HI     LOW 


2008      0      7      0      7     10      3
2007      6     21      0     27     10      3
2006      6     20      0     26     10      2
2005      6      7      2     15      9      2
2004      6      0      0      6      5      2
2003      5      7      1     13     10      2
2002      6     34            40     10      3
2001      6     38            44     13      3
2000      5     32            37      9      0
1999      3     19            22     10      0
1998      6     33            39     13      2
1997      5     53            58     13      3
1996      5     43            48     12      2
1995      6     42            48     13      2
1994      8     42            50     12      2
1993      5     42            47     11      2
1992      6     53            59     12      2
1991      6     35            41      9      2
1990      7     32            39     12      2
1989      2     25            27      8      0
1988      9     10            19     11      2
1987      8      0             8      5      0
1986      2      7             9      7      0
1985      5     58            63     11      0
1984      9     28            37     11      0
1983      5     20            25      7      0
1982      8      8            16      7      0
1981      6      4            10      4      0
1980     13      0            13      4      0
1979      4      0             4      4      0
1978     10      0            10      4      0
1977      6      0             6      2      0
1976      6      0             6      2      0
1975      8      3            11      7      0
1974      6      0             6      3      0
1973      4      9            13      5      0
1972      0      6             6      3      0
1971      6      6            12      3      0
1970      2      3             5      3      0
1969     11     12            23      7      0
1968      1      6             7      3      0
1967      1      0             1      1      0
1966      0     10            10      2      0
1965      2     10            12      4      0
1964      3      0             3      3      0
1963      2      1             3      2      0
1962      2      3             5      2      0
1961      2      2             4      1      0

Go to a page on the Shuttle fleet, and the risks of space
Go to a page on the manned space programs since the start of 2000
Go to a page on the men that went to the moon
Go to a page on the manned launches into orbit, listed by decade

mrjohngilbert@earthlink.net