Human presence in space has been a constant since the year 2000, thanks to the collaborative efforts of international space agencies. Astronauts and cosmonauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station (ISS), ensuring humanity’s foothold in orbit. Currently, 10 people are living in space, distributed across the ISS and China’s Tiangong Space Station.

Also Read

Current Space Missions and Crew Members

International Space Station (ISS)

The ISS is hosting astronauts from various international missions, including SpaceX Crew-7 and Soyuz MS-24:

  1. SpaceX Crew-7:
    • Jasmin Moghbeli (NASA)
    • Andreas Mogensen (ESA)
    • Satoshi Furukawa (JAXA)
    • Konstantin Borisov (Roscosmos)
  2. Soyuz MS-24:
    • Oleg Kononenko (Roscosmos)
    • Nikolai Chub (Roscosmos)
    • Loral O’Hara (NASA)

Tiangong Space Station

China’s Tiangong Space Station currently has a crew from the Shenzhou 17 mission:

  1. Tang Hongbo (CMSA)
  2. Jiang Xinlin (CMSA)
  3. Tang Shengjie (CMSA)

Mission Highlights

ISS – Starliner CFT

  • Launched: June 5, 2024, at 14:52:14 UTC
  • Current Mission Duration: 174 days, 18 hours, 43 minutes
  • Crew:
    • Butch Wilmore: Total time in space: 352 days
    • Sunita Williams: Total time in space: 496 days

ISS – Soyuz MS-26

  • Launched: September 11, 2024, at 16:23 UTC
  • Current Mission Duration: 76 days
  • Crew:
    • Don Pettit: Total time in space: 446 days
    • Alexey Ovchinin: Total time in space: 451 days
    • Ivan Vagner: Total time in space: 272 days

ISS – SpaceX Crew-9

  • Launched: September 28, 2024, at 17:17:21 UTC
  • Current Mission Duration: 59 days
  • Crew:
    • Nick Hague: Total time in space: 262 days
    • Aleksandr Gorbunov: Total time in space: 59 days

Tiangong Space Station – Shenzhou 19

  • Launched: October 29, 2024, at 20:27 UTC
  • Current Mission Duration: 28 days
  • Crew:
    • Cai Xuzhe: Total time in space: 210 days
    • Song Lingdong: Total time in space: 28 days
    • Wang Haoze: Total time in space: 28 days

The continued presence of astronauts in space showcases international collaboration and the enduring human spirit of exploration. From conducting scientific experiments to testing advanced technology, these missions contribute to humanity’s understanding of the universe and lay the groundwork for future endeavours, such as the Moon and Mars missions.

With 10 people currently in orbit, the legacy of space exploration thrives, proving that space truly is the next frontier.