Record 19 Astronauts Now in Earth Orbit

A new record has been set in space exploration, with 19 people currently in orbit around Earth, surpassing the previous record of 17. This milestone was achieved following the launch of the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft, which transported NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner to the International Space Station (ISS) on September 11. They joined nine existing crew members on the ISS, including both American and Russian astronauts, amid ongoing international cooperation in space despite geopolitical tensions. Additionally, four astronauts are on the Polaris Dawn mission, which has ventured farther from Earth than any crewed vehicle since the Apollo missions. The previous record was briefly held when two Chinese crews occupied their space station concurrently. NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams are set to return from the ISS in February aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon after delays with Boeing's Starliner.