At least 746 people from 52 countries have travelled to space
More than 746 people from 52 countries have reached space; only 112, or 15 percent, have been women.
World Space Week marks a historic milestone. Since Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space in 1961, crews from over half the countries that have put satellites in orbit have also launched people beyond Earth's atmosphere.
The United States dominates the list with 369 people in space, followed by Russia and the Soviet Union combined at 138. China, the third country to launch its own crewed missions, has sent 29.
The gender gap in space remains stark: women make up only 15 percent of all space travellers. Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova flew first in 1963, but the US did not send a woman until Sally Ride in 1983, twenty years later.
That gap is narrowing. Since 2020, more than half of women who have flown went up as paying passengers on commercial flights, expanding who reaches space beyond professional astronauts.
- 746
- Total space travellers
- 50+
- Countries represented
- 15%
- Women in space
- April 12, 1961
- First human spaceflight
Why it mattersSpace exploration is no longer the sole domain of superpowers; it is now a global endeavour, and commercial spaceflight is opening the frontier to people beyond government programmes.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet, but if India's first crewed Gaganyaan mission succeeds in 2027, and China lands astronauts on the moon around 2030, space access will broaden further for countries in the region.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
