In an extraordinary breakthrough, our planet has witnessed a new peak in the number of individuals concurrently in orbit. On May 29, for a brief yet significant moment, Earth had a staggering 17 people from five distinct nations revolving around it in space, thanks to the successful launch of China’s Shenzhou 16 mission. This achievement shatters the previous record set by the private Inspiration 4 mission in September 2021, where 14 brave souls were simultaneously in orbit.
Ever since the first team took residence on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2000, there has been an uninterrupted human presence in space, with overlapping missions ensuring the ISS is never devoid of crew members. The emergence of private space missions and the recent completion of China’s Tiangong space station suggest a potential future trend: a steady increase in the number of humans venturing beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
The record-setting group of 17 consisted of four distinct teams: the three-person crews of Shenzhou 16 and Shenzhou 15 aboard China’s Tiangong space station, the seven-person Expedition 69 mission aboard the ISS, and the four-person private Ax-2 mission also aboard the ISS. Currently, there are 13 astronauts in orbit as the Ax-2 team has completed a successful splashdown off the Florida coast.
However, the all-time record for individuals simultaneously in space—encompassing those beyond Earth’s atmosphere, regardless of orbital status—still holds a slight edge. This was achieved by Virgin Galactic’s Unity 25 crew’s suborbital space trip on May 25, momentarily bringing the total number of people in space to 20.
The orbital record-setting event also marked several individual milestones. The 600th person to enter Earth’s orbit was Ax-2 mission specialist Rayyanah Barnawi, who also became the first Saudi Arabian woman to venture into space. Other notable achievements include Ax-2 mission commander Peggy Whitson becoming the first woman to lead a private space launch, and Gui Haichao marking his place in history as the first civilian astronaut aboard China’s Tiangong space station.
These historic moments not only reflect humanity’s increasing presence in space but also indicate a future where space travel could become a more commonplace experience. The sky, as it appears, is no longer the limit.
