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List of spaceflight records

Extreme benchmarks set off Earth by astronauts, launchers and probes

List of spaceflight records

Summary

Extreme benchmarks set off Earth by astronauts, launchers and probes

The first [[space rendezvous]] was accomplished by [[Gemini 6A]] and [[Gemini 7]] in 1965.

Records and firsts in spaceflight are broadly divided into crewed and uncrewed categories. Records involving animal spaceflight have also been noted in earlier experimental flights, typically to establish the feasibility of sending humans to outer space.

The notion of "firsts" in spaceflight follows a long tradition of firsts in aviation, but is also closely tied to the Space Race. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviet Union and the United States competed to be the first countries to accomplish various feats. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial orbital satellite. In 1961, Soviet Vostok 1 cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to enter space and orbit the Earth, and in 1969 American Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the Moon. No human has traveled beyond low Earth orbit since 1972, when the Apollo program ended.

During the 1970s, the Soviet Union directed its energies to human habitation of space stations of increasingly long durations. In the 1980s, the United States began launching its Space Shuttles, which carried larger crews and thus could increase the number of people in space at a given time. Following their first mission of détente on the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the Soviet Union and the United States again collaborated with each other on the Shuttle-Mir initiative, efforts which led to the International Space Station (ISS), which has been continuously inhabited by humans for over 20 years.

Other firsts in spaceflight involve demographics, private enterprise, and distance. Dozens of countries have sent at least one traveler to space. In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space, aboard Vostok 6. In the early 21st century, private companies joined government agencies in crewed spaceflight: in 2004, the sub-orbital spaceplane SpaceShipOne became the first privately funded crewed craft to enter space; in 2020, SpaceX's Dragon 2 became the first privately developed crewed vehicle to reach orbit when it ferried a crew to the ISS. As of , the uncrewed probe Voyager 1 is the most distant artificial object from the Earth, part of a small class of vehicles that are leaving the Solar System.

First independent suborbital and orbital human spaceflight by country

CountryMissionCrewSpacecraftLaunch vehicleDateTypeNotes
Soviet Union USSRVostok 1Yuri GagarinVostok 3KAVostok-K12 April 1961Orbital
United States USAMercury-Redstone 3 (Freedom 7)Alan ShepardMercury Spacecraft No.7Mercury-Redstone5 May 1961Sub-orbital
United States USAMercury-Atlas 6 (Friendship 7)John GlennMercury Spacecraft No.13Atlas LV-3B20 February 1962Orbital
USSR USSRSoyuz 18AVasily Lazarev, Oleg MakarovSoyuz 7K-TSoyuz 11A5115 April 1975Sub-orbitalThe mission was intended to be orbital, but a fault in the launch vehicle prevented the spacecraft from reaching orbit.
RUS RussiaSoyuz TM-14Aleksandr Viktorenko, Aleksandr Kaleri, Klaus-Dietrich FladeSoyuz-TMSoyuz-U217 March 1992OrbitalFirst Soyuz mission to occur after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
China ChinaShenzhou 5Yang LiweiShenzhou spacecraftLong March 2F15 October 2003Orbital

Human spaceflight firsts

Note: Some space records are disputed as a result of ambiguities surrounding the border of space. Most records follow the FAI definition of the space border which the FAI sets at an altitude of 100 km (62.14 mi). By contrast, US agencies define the border of space at 50 mi (80.47 km).

FirstPerson(s)MissionCountryDate
Yuri GagarinVostok 1Soviet Union USSR12 April 1961
Alan ShepardFreedom 7United States USA5 May 1961
Gherman TitovVostok 2Soviet Union USSR6 August 1961 –
7 August 1961
Soviet Union USSR12 August 1962 –
15 August 1962
[[File:RIAN archive 612748 Valentina Tereshkova.jpg200pxleft]]Valentina TereshkovaVostok 6Soviet Union USSR16 June 1963 –
19 June 1963
Joe WalkerX-15 Flight 90United States USA19 July 1963
Person to enter space twice (suborbital flights above 100 km)Joe WalkerX-15 Flights 90 and 91United States USA22 August 1963
Voskhod 1Soviet Union USSR12 October 1964 –
13 October 1964
Voskhod 2Soviet Union USSR18 March 1965 – 19 March 1965
SpacewalkAlexei LeonovVoskhod 2Soviet Union USSR18 March 1965
Orbital maneuvers (change orbit)Gus Grissom, John W. YoungGemini 3United States USA23 March 1965
Person to fly two orbital spaceflightsGordon CooperUnited States USA
Persons to spend one week in spaceGemini 5United States USA21 August 1965 –
29 August 1965
Spaceflight aborted before liftoff (after engine start)
[[File:Gemini 6 launch abort.jpg200pxleft]]Gemini 6AUnited States USA12 December 1965
[[File:Gemini 7 in orbit - GPN-2006-000035.jpg200pxleft]]United States USA15 December 1965 –
16 December 1965
Civilian in orbit (at the time of flight)Neil ArmstrongGemini 8United States USA16 March 1966 –
17 March 1966
Space docking
[[File:Gemini 8 docking.jpg200pxleft]]
[[File:Portrait of the Gemini 8 prime crew.jpgleft200x200px]]Gemini 8 and AgenaUnited States USA16 March 1966
Multiple (dual) rendezvous (with Agena 10, then Agena 8)Gemini 10United States USA
Persons to exceed 1,000 km above Earth
[[File:Gemini 11 prime crew (Gordon and Conrad).jpgleft200px]]Gemini 11United States USA12 September 1966 –
Spaceflight death (during landing)
[[File:Vladimir_Komarov_foto_grupal_grupo_de_cosmonautas_(cropped).jpgleft279x279px]]Vladimir KomarovSoyuz 1Soviet Union USSR23 April 1967 –
24 April 1967
[[File:Schirra_walter_3.jpgleft243x243px]]Wally SchirraUnited States USA22 October 1968
[[File:Apollo8 Prime Crew2.jpgleft200px]]Apollo 8United States USA24 December 1968 –
25 December 1968
People to fly together twice on different missionsUnited States USA21 December 1968
Soviet Union USSR16 January 1969
Solo flight around the MoonJohn YoungApollo 10United States USA22 May 1969
[[File:A Man on the Moon, AS11-40-5903 (cropped).jpgleft200px]]Apollo 11United States USA20 July 1969
Five people in space at the same timeSoviet Union USSR12 October 1969 –
13 October 1969
Soviet Union USSR13 October 1969 –
16 October 1969
Person to complete four spaceflights[[File:James_Lovell.jpgleft250x250px]]James A. LovellUnited States USA17 April 1970
James A. LovellUnited States USA11 April 1970 –
17 April 1970
[[File:Apollo 13 Prime Crew.jpgleft200x200px]]United States USA11 April 1970 –
17 April 1970
Soyuz 9Soviet Union USSR1 June 1970 –
19 June 1970
People to EVA out of sight of their spacecraftApollo 14United States USA6 February 1971
Person to play sports on a planetary body other than EarthAlan ShepardApollo 14United States USA7 February 1971
[[File:Salyut 4 and Soyuz drawing.svgleft200px]]Soviet Union USSR22 April 1971 –
24 April 1971
[[File: The Soviet Union 1971 CPA 4060 stamp (Cosmonauts Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev).pngleft200px]]Soviet Union USSR7 June 1971 –
29 June 1971
Person to use a telescope in spaceViktor PatsayevSoviet Union USSR7 June 1971 –
29 June 1971
People to travel in a wheeled vehicle on a planetary body other than Earth
[[File:Scott on the Rover - GPN-2000-001306.jpgScott on the Rover – GPN-2000-001306200px]]Apollo 15United States USA31 July 1971–
2 August 1971
Deep space EVA (trans-Earth trajectory)[[File:Worden_podczas_EVA_S71-43202.jpgleft200x200px]]Alfred WordenApollo 15United States USA5 August 1971
Person to be in lunar orbit twice (during separate lunar expeditions)John W. YoungUnited States USA16 April 1972 –
27 April 1972
People in orbit for four weeks[[File:Skylab_2_crew.jpgleft200x200px]]Skylab 2United States USA25 May 1973 –
22 June 1973
Spacewalk at a space stationPaul WeitzSkylab 2United States USA26 May 1973
People in orbit for eight weeks[[File:S73-28714.jpgleft200x200px]]Skylab 3United States USA28 July 1973 –
25 September 1973
People in orbit for 12 weeks[[File:Skylab4_crew.jpgleft200x200px]]Skylab 4United States USA16 November 1973 –
8 February 1974
Vasily Lazarev, Oleg MakarovSoyuz 7K-T No.39Soviet Union USSR5 April 1975
International docking[[File:ASTP_handshake_-_cropped.jpgleft200x200px]]Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand, Donald K. Slayton – USAApollo–SoyuzUnited StatesUSA17 July 1975
Crew to visit occupied space stationVladimir Dzhanibekov, Oleg MakarovSoyuz 27 visits Salyut 6 EO-1 crewSoviet Union USSR10 January 1978 –
16 January 1978
People in orbit 19 weeks
(4 months)Vladimir Kovalyonok, Aleksandr IvanchenkovSalyut 6 EO-2, Soyuz 29-Soyuz 31Soviet Union USSR15 June 1978 –
2 November 1978
People in orbit 26 weeks
(6 months)Leonid Popov, Valery RyuminSalyut 6 EO-4, Soyuz 35-Soyuz 37Soviet Union USSR9 April 1980 –
11 October 1980
STS-1United States USA12 April 1981
Person to fly four different types of spacecraftJohn W. YoungUnited States USA12 April 1981
Person to complete five spaceflightsJohn W. YoungUnited States USA14 April 1981
Re-use of previously flown spacecraft (orbital)
[[File:Sts-2 crew.jpg200pxleft]]STS-2United States USA12 November 1981
Woman to visit a space stationSvetlana SavitskayaSalyut 7, Soyuz T-7Soviet Union USSR20 August 1982
Four-person spaceflight in a single spacecraft
[[File:STS-5 crew onboard portrait on port side middeck 2.jpg200pxleft]]STS-5United States USA11 November 1982 –
16 November 1982
Five-person spaceflight in a single spacecraft
[[File:STS-7 Crew (18649126018).jpg200pxleft]]STS-7United States USA18 June 1983 –
24 June 1983
LGBTQ person in spaceSally K. RideSTS-7United States USA18 June 1983 –
24 June 1983
Use of a launch escape system in an emergency[[File:Soyuz_T-10-1_abort.jpgleft200x200px]]Vladimir Titov, Gennady StrekalovSoyuz 7K-ST No.16LSoviet Union USSR26 September 1983
Six-person spaceflight in a single spacecraft
[[File:Portrait of STS-9 crew in the Spacelab.jpg200pxleft]]STS-928 November 1983 –
8 December 1983
Person to complete six spaceflights[[File:John_Watts_Young.jpgleft250x250px]]John W. YoungUnited States USA8 December 1983
Untethered spacewalk
[[File:EVAtion - GPN-2000-001087.jpgleft200px]]Bruce McCandless IISTS-41-BUnited States USA7 February 1984
Eight people in space at the same time (no docking)Salyut 7 EO-3, Soyuz T-10, STS-41-B8 February 1984 –
11 February 1984
11 people in space at the same time (no docking)STS-41-C, Salyut 7 EO-3, Soyuz T-10-Soyuz T-116 April 1984 –
11 April 1984
People to complete four spacewalks during the same missionLeonid Kizim, Vladimir SolovyovSalyut 7Soviet Union USSR26 April –
18 May 1984
Woman to enter space twiceSvetlana SavitskayaSoyuz T-7, Soyuz T-12Soviet Union USSR17 July 1984
Spacewalk by a woman
[[File:Svetlana Savitskaya, 7 December 2018.jpg200pxleft]]Svetlana SavitskayaSoyuz T-12Soviet Union USSR25 July 1984
Welding in spaceVladimir Dzhanibekov, Svetlana SavitskayaSalyut 7, Soyuz T-12Soviet Union USSR25 July 1984
People in orbit 33 weeks (7 months)Leonid Kizim, Vladimir Solovyov, Oleg AtkovSalyut 7 EO-3, Soyuz T-10-Soyuz T-11Soviet Union USSR8 February 1984 –
2 October 1984
Seven-person spaceflight in a single spacecraft
[[File:STS 41-G crew photo taken on the flight deck of the Challenger during flight - STS41G-19-006.jpg200pxleft]]STS-41-G5 October 1984 –
13 October 1984
Two women in space at the same timeKathryn D. Sullivan, Sally K. RideSTS-41-GUnited States USA5 October 1984 –
13 October 1984
Member of royalty in space
[[File:Al-saud.jpg200pxleft]]Sultan bin Salman Al Saud – House of SaudSTS-51-GSaudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
United States USA17 June 1985 –
24 June 1985
Partial crew exchange at a space stationAlexander Volkov, Vladimir Vasyutin replace Vladimir DzhanibekovSoyuz T-14, Salyut 7Soviet Union USSR17 September 1985 –
26 September 1985
Eight-person spaceflight in a single spacecraft
[[File:STS 61-A crew portrait onboard Challenger middeck.jpg200pxleft]]STS-61-A30 October 1985 –
6 November 1985
Deaths during launch[[File:Challenger_flight_51-l_crew.jpgleft200x200px]]STS-51-LUnited States USA28 January 1986
Soyuz T-15 from Mir to Salyut 7 back to MirSoviet Union USSR15 March 1986 –
16 July 1986
Person to accumulate 1 year in spaceLeonid KizimSoyuz T-3Soviet Union USSR28 June 1986
Complete crew exchange at a space stationVladimir Titov, Musa Manarov replace Yuri Romanenko, Alexander AlexandrovSoyuz TM-4-Soyuz TM-2, Soyuz TM-3, at MirSoviet Union USSR21 December 1987 –
29 December 1987
People in orbit 52 weeks (one year)Vladimir Titov, Musa ManarovMir EO-3, Soyuz TM-4-Soyuz TM-6Soviet Union USSR21 December 1987 –
21 December 1988
International spacewalkAlexander Volkov, Jean-Loup ChrétienMir, Soyuz TM-79 December 1988
Submariner in space
[[File:Astronaut michael mcculley.jpg200pxleft]]Michael J. McCulleySTS-34United States USA18 October 1989 –
23 October 1989
12 people in space at the same time (no docking)STS-35,
Mir EO-7, Soyuz TM-10 Soyuz TM-112 December 1990 –
10 December 1990
Civilian to use a commercial space flight, and journalist to report on space from outer space
[[File:Toyohiro-Akiyama-First-Japanese-Person-in-Space-1990.pngleft293x293px]]Toyohiro Akiyama – JapanSoyuz TM-10, Soyuz TM-11Japan Japan2 December 1990 –
10 December 1990
Three women in space at the same timeMillie Hughes-Fulford, Tamara E. Jernigan, M. Rhea SeddonSTS-40United States USA5 June 1991 –
14 June 1991
Three-person spacewalk
[[File:Three Crew Members Capture Intelsat VI - GPN-2000-001035.jpgleft200px]]STS-49United States USA13 May 1992
Married couple in spaceMark C. Lee, Jan DavisSTS-47United States USA12 September 1992 –
20 September 1992
13 people in space at the same time (no docking)STS-67, Mir, Soyuz TM-20, Soyuz TM-2114 March 1995 –
18 March 1995
Ten people in a single spacecraft (docking)
[[File:Crewmembers of STS-71, Mir-18 and Mir-19 Pose for Inflight Picture - GPN-2002-000061 rotated.jpg200pxleft]]STS-71, Mir, Soyuz TM-2129 June 1995 –
4 July 1995
Spacewalk during an international dockingMichael R. Clifford, Linda M. GodwinSTS-76, MirUnited States USA27 March 1996
Person to accumulate 2 years in spaceSergey AvdeevSoyuz TM-15 (Mir EO-12)Russia Russia10 July 1999
Woman to command a space mission[[File:Commander Eileen Collins - GPN-2000-001177.jpg200pxleft]]Eileen CollinsSTS-93United States USA23 July 1999 –
27 July 1999
Space tourist
[[File:Dennis_Tito.jpgleft200x200px]]Dennis TitoSoyuz TM-32/31, ISS EP-1April 28, 2001 –
May 6, 2001
Person to complete seven trips to space
[[File:Jerry Ross.jpg200pxleft]]Jerry L. RossUnited States USA19 April 2002
Deaths during re-entry
[[File:Crew of STS-107, official photo.jpg200pxleft]]STS-1071 February 2003
Yang Liwei– ChinaShenzhou 5China China}}15 October 2003
Privately funded human space flight (suborbital)
[[File:Kluft-photo-SS1-landing-June-2004-Img 1406c.jpg200pxleft]]Mike MelvillSpaceShipOne flight 15PUnited States USA21 June 2004
13 people in a single spacecraft (docking)
[[File:STS-127 group picture 03.jpg200pxleft]]ISS, Soyuz TMA-14, Soyuz TMA-15, STS-12717 July 2009
People to fly together three times on different missionsUnited States USA28 August 2009
Four women in space at the same time (docking)
[[File:STS-131 and Expedition 23 Group Portrait.jpg200pxleft]]5 April 2010 –
20 April 2010
Thirty-ninth launch, orbital flight, and landing of a reusable crewed spacecraft24 February 2011 –
9 March 2011
Six spacecraft docked to a space station
9 July 2018
18 October 2019
30 May 2020 –
2 August 2020
16 people in space (50 miles) at the same time (no docking){{unbulleted listISS: Mark Vande Hei, Shane Kimbrough, K. Megan McArthur, – USAOleg Novitsky, Pyotr Dubrov – RussiaThomas Pesquet – FranceAkihiko Hoshide – JapanTSS: Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, Tang Hongbo, – ChinaUnity: David Mackay, Michael Masucci, Beth Moses, Sirisha Bandla - USARichard Branson, Colin Bennett – United Kingdom}}
14 people in space (100 km) at the same time (no docking){{unbulleted listISS: Mark Vande Hei, Shane Kimbrough, K. Megan McArthur, – USAOleg Novitsky, Pyotr Dubrov – RussiaThomas Pesquet – FranceAkihiko Hoshide – JapanTSS: Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, Tang Hongbo, – ChinaNew Shepard: Jeff Bezos, Mark Bezos, Wally Funk – USAOliver Daemen – Netherlands}}
[[File:Inspiration4_crew_visits_NASA's_JSC.jpgleft200x200px]]Inspiration4USA USA16 September 2021 –
18 September 2021
[[File:Dr. Sian Proctor at Launch Complex 39A.jpgleft200x200px]]Inspiration4USA USA16 September 2021 –
18 September 2021
Inspiration4USA USA16 September 2021 –
18 September 2021
14 people in orbit at the same time (no docking){{unbulleted listISS: Mark Vande Hei, Shane Kimbrough, K. Megan McArthur, – USAOleg Novitsky, Pyotr Dubrov – RussiaThomas Pesquet – FranceAkihiko Hoshide – JapanTSS: Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, Tang Hongbo, – ChinaInspiration4: Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Sian Proctor, Christopher Sembroski – USA}}
19 people in space (100 km) at the same time (no docking){{unbulleted listISS: Mark Vande Hei, Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, Kayla Barron – USAAnton Shkaplerov, Pyotr Dubrov, Alexander Misurkin – RussiaMatthias Maurer – GermanyYusaku Maezawa, Yozo Hirano – JapanTSS: Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, Ye Guangfu, – ChinaNew Shepard: Laura Shepard Churchley, Michael Strahan, Dylan Taylor, Evan Dick, Lane Bess, Cameron Bess – USA}}
[[File:Axiom_Crew_Portrait.jpgleft200x200px]]Axiom Mission 1 To ISS8 April 2022 –
18 April 2022
5 June 2022 – present
5 women in space at the same time (no docking)5 October 2022 –
14 October 2022
20 people in space (50 miles) at the same time (no docking)25 May 2023
17 people in orbit at the same time (no docking)30 May 2023 –
31 May 2023
Seven spacecraft docked to a space station
25 March 2024
Person to accumulate 1000 days in spaceOleg KononenkoExpedition 71Russia Russia5 June 2024
Woman to fly on the maiden crewed flight of an orbital spacecraftSunita WilliamsBoeing CFTUSA USA5 June 2024
Person to accumulate 3 years in space
[[File:Oleg Kononenko Official Portrait (jsc2023e052791).jpgleft200x200px]]Oleg KononenkoSoyuz TMA-12 (Expedition 17) Soyuz TMA-03M (Expedition 30/31)Russia Russia9 September 2024
19 people in orbit at the same time (no docking)11 September 2024 –
15 September 2024
[[File:Polaris Dawn crew.jpgleft267x267px]]Jared Isaacman
Scott Poteet
Sarah Gillis
Anna MenonPolaris DawnUSA USA12 September 2024
First humans to polar retrograde orbit, i.e., to fly over Earth's North and South polesChun Wang
Jannicke Mikkelsen
Rabea Rogge
Eric PhilipsFram2Australia
GER
Norway/UK
Malta/Saint Kitts and Nevis1 April 2025
9 women in space at the same time (no docking)USAUSA
CHNChina
Bahamas Bahamas14 April 2025
20 people in space (100 km) at the same time (no docking){{unbulleted listISS: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim, Peggy Whitson – USAKirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky – RussiaTakuya Onishi – JapanShubhanshu Shukla – IndiaSławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski – PolandTibor Kapu – HungaryTSS: Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, Wang Jie, – ChinaNew Shepard: Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno, Owolabi Salis, James Sitkin – USA}}
Eight spacecraft docked to a space station
1 December 2025
First wheelchair user in spaceMichaela BenthausBlue Origin NS-37GER Germany20 December 2025

Most spaceflights

Most launches from Earth

  • 10 launches
    • Frederick W. Sturckow (USA), Space Shuttle and SpaceShipTwo (1998–2024)

Note: The six SpaceShipTwo flights surpass the U.S. definition of spaceflight (50 mi), but fall short of the Kármán line (100 km), the definition used for FAI space recordkeeping.

Most orbital launches overall

  • 7 launches
    • John W. Young (USA) launched from Earth 6 times (two Gemini, two Apollo Command Module, two Space Shuttle) and from the Moon once (Apollo Lunar Module Ascent Stage) (1965–1983)
    • Jerry L. Ross (USA), Space Shuttle (1985–2002)
    • Franklin Chang Díaz (Costa Rica/USA*), Space Shuttle (1986–2002)

Most orbital launches from Earth

  • 7 launches
    • Jerry L. Ross (USA), Space Shuttle (1985–2002)
    • Franklin Chang Díaz (Costa Rica/USA), Space Shuttle (1986–2002)

Largest number of different launch vehicles (overall)

  • 4 launch vehicles
    • John W. Young (USA) – launched from Earth aboard a Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle, and launched from the Moon aboard the Apollo Lunar Module Ascent Stage

Largest number of different spacecraft at launch (from Earth only)

  • 3 spacecraft
    • Walter Schirra (USA) – launched aboard a Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo (1962–1968)
    • John W. Young (USA) – launched aboard a Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle (1965–1983)
    • Soichi Noguchi (Japan) – launched aboard a Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and SpaceX Crew Dragon (2005–2020)
    • Shane Kimbrough (USA) – launched aboard a Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and SpaceX Crew Dragon (2008–2021)
    • Akihiko Hoshide (Japan) – launched aboard a Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and SpaceX Crew Dragon (2008–2021)
    • Thomas Marshburn (USA) – launched aboard a Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and SpaceX Crew Dragon (2009–2021)
    • Koichi Wakata (Japan) – launched aboard a Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and SpaceX Crew Dragon (1996–2022)
    • Peggy Whitson (USA) – launched aboard a Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and SpaceX Crew Dragon (2002–2025)
    • Michael López-Alegría (USA) – launched aboard a Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and SpaceX Crew Dragon (1995–2024)
    • Michael Barratt (USA) – launched aboard a Soyuz, Space Shuttle, and SpaceX Crew Dragon (2009–2024)
    • Barry Wilmore (USA) – launched aboard a Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and Boeing Starliner (2009–2024) (landed in a SpaceX Crew Dragon in 2025)
    • Sunita Williams (USA) – launched aboard a Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and Boeing Starliner (2006–2024) (landed in a SpaceX Crew Dragon in 2025)
    • Michael Fincke (USA) – launched aboard a Soyuz, Space Shuttle, and SpaceX Crew Dragon (2004–2025) .--

Largest number of different launch sites

  • 3 sites – Any orbital launch
    • Neil Armstrong (USA) – Cape Kennedy Air Force Station (aboard a Gemini capsule in 1966), Kennedy Space Center (aboard an Apollo capsule in 1969), Tranquility Base (from the Moon aboard an Apollo Lunar Module, in 1969).
    • Buzz Aldrin (USA) – Cape Kennedy Air Force Station (aboard a Gemini capsule in 1966), Kennedy Space Center (aboard an Apollo capsule in 1969), Tranquility Base (from the Moon aboard an Apollo Lunar Module, in 1969).
    • Pete Conrad (USA) – Cape Kennedy Air Force Station (twice aboard a Gemini capsule 1965–1966), Kennedy Space Center (twice aboard an Apollo capsule 1969–1973), Ocean of Storms (from the Moon aboard an Apollo Lunar Module, in 1969).
    • Alan Shepard (USA) – Cape Kennedy Air Force Station (aboard a Mercury capsule in 1961), Kennedy Space Center (aboard an Apollo capsule in 1971), Fra Mauro (from the Moon aboard an Apollo Lunar Module, in 1971).
    • David Scott (USA) – Cape Kennedy Air Force Station (aboard a Gemini capsule in 1966), Kennedy Space Center (twice aboard an Apollo capsule 1969–1971), Hadley Rille (from the Moon aboard an Apollo Lunar Module, in 1971).
    • John Young (USA) – Cape Kennedy Air Force Station (now Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, twice aboard a Gemini capsule 1965–1966), Kennedy Space Center (four times, twice aboard an Apollo capsule 1969–1971, twice aboard a Space Shuttle 1981–1983), Descartes Highlands (from the Moon aboard an Apollo Lunar Module, in 1972).
    • Gene Cernan (USA) – Cape Kennedy Air Force Station (aboard a Gemini capsule in 1966), Kennedy Space Center (twice aboard an Apollo capsule 1969–1972), Taurus–Littrow (from the Moon aboard an Apollo Lunar Module, in 1972).
  • 3 sites – Only orbital launches from Earth
    • Sunita Williams (USA) – Kennedy Space Center (aboard a Space Shuttle in 2006), Baikonur Cosmodrome (aboard a Soyuz capsule in 2012), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (aboard a Starliner capsule in 2024).
    • Barry E. Wilmore (USA) – Kennedy Space Center (aboard a Space Shuttle in 2009), Baikonur Cosmodrome (aboard a Soyuz capsule in 2014), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (aboard a Starliner capsule in 2024).
  • 3 sites
    • Frederick W. Sturckow (USA) – Kennedy Space Center (four times aboard a Space Shuttle 1998–2010), Mojave Air and Space Port (aboard a Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo in 2018), and Spaceport America (also aboard a SpaceShipTwo, five times 2021–2024).

Notes:

  • Seven of the twelve Apollo program moonwalkers launched from what was then called Cape Kennedy Air Force Station as part of the Mercury or Gemini programs. On their respective Lunar Landing Mission those seven launched twice. All Apollo Lunar Landing missions that landed on the moon launched from the Kennedy Space Center and when the lunar surface portion of their mission was complete, launched from the surface of the moon to meet up with the Apollo Command Module in lunar orbit.
  • SpaceShipTwo flights are suborbital. SpaceShipTwo flights surpass the U.S. definition of spaceflight (50 mi), but fall short of the Kármán line (100 km), the FAI definition used for most space recordkeeping.

Duration records

Total human spaceflight time by country

Orbital space travelers (as of August 17th, 2024)

Most time in space

The record for most time in space is held by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, who has spent 1,111 days in space over five missions. He broke the record of Gennady Padalka on 4 February 2024 at 07:30:08 UTC during his fifth spaceflight aboard Soyuz MS-24/25 for a one year long-duration mission on the ISS. He later became the first person to stay 900, 1,000, and 1,100 days in space on 25 February 2024, 4 June 2024, and 12 September 2024 respectively. Gennady Padalka is currently second, having spent 878 days in space. He himself had broken the all-time duration record on 28 June 2015 when he surpassed the previous record holder, cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, who spent 803 days, 9 hours and 39 minutes (about 2.2 years) during six spaceflights on Soyuz, the Space Shuttle, Mir, and the International Space Station.

, the 50 space travelers with the most total time in space are:

Color key:

RankPersonDaysFlightsStatusNationality
1Oleg Kononenko1110.6235ActiveRussia
2Gennady Padalka878.4785RetiredRussia
3Yuri Malenchenko827.3896RetiredRussia
4Sergei Krikalev803.3716RetiredSoviet Union / Russia
5Aleksandr Kaleri769.2765RetiredRussia
6Sergei Avdeev747.5933RetiredSoviet Union / Russia
7Anton Shkaplerov709.3364RetiredRussia
8Peggy Whitson695.2845ActiveUnited States
9Valeri Polyakov678.6902DeceasedSoviet Union / Russia
10Fyodor Yurchikhin672.8605RetiredRussia
11Anatoly Solovyev651.1175RetiredSoviet Union / Russia
12Sunita Williams608.0143RetiredUnited States
13Sergey Ryzhikov603.0713ActiveRussia
14Aleksey Ovchinin595.1853ActiveRussia
15Donald Pettit590.0684ActiveUnited States
16Sergey Prokopyev567.6332ActiveRussia
17Oleg Artemyev560.7543ActiveRussia
18Viktor Afanasyev555.7724RetiredSoviet Union / Russia
19Yury Usachov552.9344RetiredRussia
20Michael Fincke548.3394ActiveUnited States
21Sergey Volkov547.9313RetiredRussia
22Pavel Vinogradov546.9393RetiredRussia
23Aleksandr Skvortsov545.9643RetiredRussia
24Oleg Novitsky545.0694RetiredRussia
25Musa Manarov541.0212RetiredSoviet Union
26Oleg Skripochka536.1593RetiredRussia
27Jeffrey Williams534.1164RetiredUnited States
28Mikhail Tyurin532.1183RetiredRussia
29Oleg Kotov526.2113RetiredRussia
30Mark T. Vande Hei523.3742ActiveUnited States
31Scott Kelly520.4404RetiredUnited States
32Mikhail Kornienko516.4172RetiredRussia
33Koichi Wakata504.7735ActiveJapan
34Aleksandr Viktorenko489.0664DeceasedSoviet Union / Russia
35Anatoli Ivanishin476.1953RetiredRussia
36Barry E. Wilmore464.3353RetiredUnited States
37Michael Barratt446.6403ActiveUnited States
38Nikolai Budarin444.0603RetiredRussia
39Yuri Romanenko430.7653RetiredSoviet Union
40Chen Dong418.6353ActiveChina
41Ivan Vagner416.1572ActiveRussia
42Thomas Pesquet396.4822ActiveFrance
43Aleksandr Volkov391.4953RetiredSoviet Union / Russia
44Yury Onufriyenko389.6152RetiredRussia
45Shane Kimbrough388.7283RetiredUnited States
46Vladimir Titov387.0314RetiredSoviet Union / Russia
47Vasily Tsibliyev381.6622RetiredRussia
48Valery Korzun381.6532RetiredRussia
49Christopher Cassidy377.7423RetiredUnited States
50Leonid Kizim374.7493DeceasedSoviet Union

Ten longest human spaceflights

#Time in spaceCrewCountryLaunch date (Launch craft)Landing date (Landing craft)Space station or mission type
1url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/science/space/31mars.htmltitle=Staying Put on Earth, Taking a Step to Marsaccess-date=2009-04-15last=Schwirtzfirst=Michaeldate=2009-03-30work=The New York Times }}Valeri Polyakov1994-01-08 (Soyuz TM-18)1995-03-22 (Soyuz TM-20)Mir
2379.6 daysSergey Avdeev1998-08-13 (Soyuz TM-28)1999-08-28 (Soyuz TM-29)Mir
3373.8 daysOleg Kononenko2023-09-15 (Soyuz MS-24)2024-09-23 (Soyuz MS-25)International Space Station
Nikolai Chub
4370.9 daysSergey Prokopyev2022-09-21 (Soyuz MS-22)2023-09-27 (Soyuz MS-23)International Space Station
Dmitry Petelin
Francisco Rubio
5365.9 daysVladimir Titov1987-12-21 (Soyuz TM-4)1988-12-21 (Soyuz TM-6)Mir
Musa Manarov
6355.2 daysPyotr Dubrov2021-04-09 (Soyuz MS-18)2022-03-30 (Soyuz MS-19)International Space Station
Mark T. Vande Hei
7340.4 daysMikhail Kornienko2015-03-27 (Soyuz TMA-16M)2016-03-01 (Soyuz TMA-18M)International Space Station,
ISS year-long mission
Scott Kelly
8328.6 daysurl=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/christina-koch-sets-record-longest-single-space-flight-by-woman-astronaut/title=Astronaut Christina Koch sets new record for longest single space flight by a womandate=27 December 2019publisher=CBS Newsaccess-date=28 December 2019}}2019-03-14 (Soyuz MS-12)2020-02-06 (Soyuz MS-13)International Space Station
9last=Carrollfirst=Michaeltitle=Living Among Giants: Exploring and Settling the Outer Solar Systempublisher=Springerdate=2015pages=195isbn=978-3319106731}}Yuri Romanenko1987-02-05 (Soyuz TM-2)1987-12-29 (Soyuz TM-3)Mir
10url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/04/us/man-in-the-news-sergei-konstantinovich-krikalev-symbol-of-new-cooperation.htmltitle=Man in the News: Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev; Symbol of New Cooperationlast=Learyfirst=Warrendate=4 Feb 1994work=New York Timesaccess-date=13 April 2015location=Cape Canaveral}}Sergei Krikalev/1991-05-18 (Soyuz TM-12)1992-03-25 (Soyuz TM-13)Mir

Longest single flight by a woman

NASA astronaut Christina Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days), returning on February 6, 2020. During Expedition 61, she surpassed NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson's 289 days from 2016 to 2017.

Longest continuous occupation of space

An international partnership consisting of Russia, the United States, Canada, Japan, and the member states of the European Space Agency have jointly maintained a continuous human presence in space since 31 October 2000 when Soyuz TM-31 was launched. Two days later, it docked with the International Space Station. Since then space has been continuously occupied for .

Longest continuous occupation of a spacecraft

The International Space Station has been continuously occupied by a Russian and US crew member since 2 November 2000 (). It broke the record of 9 years and 358 days of the Soviet/Russian Space Station Mir on 23 October 2010.

Longest solo flight

Valery Bykovsky flew solo for 4 days, 23 hours in Vostok 5 from 14 to 19 June 1963. The flight set a space endurance record which was broken in 1965 by the (non-solo) Gemini 5 flight. The Apollo program included long solo spaceflight, and during the Apollo 16 mission, Ken Mattingly orbited solo around the Moon for more than 3 days and 9 hours.

Longest time on the lunar surface

Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of the Apollo 17 mission stayed for 74 hours 59 minutes and 40 seconds (over 3 days) on the lunar surface after they landed on 11 December 1972. They performed three EVAs (extra-vehicular activity) totaling 22 hours 3 minutes, 57 seconds. As Apollo commanders were the first to leave the LM and the last to get back in, Cernan's EVA time was slightly longer.

Longest time in lunar orbit

Ronald Evans of Apollo 17 mission stayed in lunar orbit for 6 days and 4 hours (148 hours) along with five mice. For the solo portion of a flight around the Moon, Ken Mattingly on Apollo 16 spent 1 hour 38 minutes longer than Evans' solo duration.

Speed and altitude records

Fastest

The Apollo 10 crew (Thomas Stafford, John W. Young and Eugene Cernan) achieved the highest speed relative to Earth ever attained by humans: 39,897 kilometers per hour (11,082 meters per second or 24,791 miles per hour, about 32 times the speed of sound and 0.0037% of the speed of light). The record was set 26 May 1969, upon atmospheric entry interface after returning from the Moon.

The record for uncrewed spacecraft is held by the Parker Solar Probe at 191.7 km/s, about 1/1600 (or 0.064%) the speed of light, relative to the Sun. This speed was first reached in December 2024.

Farthest humans from Earth

The Apollo 13 crew (Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert), while passing over the far side of the Moon at an altitude of 254 km from the lunar surface, were 400171 km from Earth. This record-breaking distance was reached at 00:21 UTC on 15 April 1970.

Highest altitude for crewed non-lunar mission

Polaris Dawn crew Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon fired their Crew Dragon Resilience's Draco thrusters on 11 September 2024 at 00:27 UTC, at 15 hours and 4 minutes after liftoff and achieved a record apogee altitude of 874.95 mi.

Age records

Wally Funk flew in July 2021
Joe Walker in 1961

Earliest-born to reach space

Suborbital flight

  • Man – Joe Walker (born 20 February 1921), on X-15 Flight 90 on 19 July 1963 (about 12 minutes.)
  • Woman – Wally Funk (born 1 February 1939), on Blue Origin NS-16, on 20 July 2021 (about 10 minutes.)

Orbital spaceflight

  • Man – Georgy Beregovoy (born 15 April 1921), on Soyuz 3 on 26 October 1968 (81 orbits in about 4 days.)
  • Woman – Valentina Tereshkova (born 6 March 1937), on Vostok 6 on 16–19 June 1963 (48 orbits, about 3 days.)

Youngest

Suborbital flight

  • Woman – Anastatia Mayers (aged ), on Galactic 02, on 10 August 2023 (about 5 minutes.)
  • Man – Oliver Daemen (aged ), on Blue Origin NS-16, on 20 July 2021 (about 10 minutes.)

Orbital spaceflight

  • Man – Gherman Titov (aged ), on Vostok 2 on 6 August 1961 (17.5 orbits, about 1 day.)
  • Woman – Valentina Tereshkova (aged ), on Vostok 6 on 16–19 June 1963 (48 orbits, about 3 days.)

Oldest

Suborbital flight

  • Man: Ed Dwight (aged ), on Blue Origin NS-25, on 19 May 2024 (about 10 minutes).
  • Woman: Wally Funk (aged ), on Blue Origin NS-16, on 20 July 2021 (about 10 minutes).

Orbital spaceflight

  • Man: John Glenn (aged ), on STS-95 on 29 October 1998 (about 9 days, 20 hours).
  • Woman: Peggy Whitson (aged ), on Axiom Mission 4 on 25 June 2025 (about 20 days, 2 hours and 59 minutes).

Spacewalk

Youngest

  • Woman – Sarah Gillis, (aged ), during Polaris Dawn.
  • Man – Alexei Leonov (aged ), during Voskhod 2.

Oldest

  • Man – Michael Barratt (aged ), during ISS Expedition 71.
  • Woman – Sunita Williams (aged ), during ISS Expedition 72.

Spacewalk records

Most spacewalks (number and duration)

Both of these are the record for the largest total number of spacewalks by a male and a female, and the most cumulative time spent on spacewalks by a male and a female.

  • Man – Anatoly Solovyev, 16 spacewalks for a total time of 82 hours, 21 minutes.
  • Woman (number) – Peggy Whitson, 10 spacewalks for a total time of 60 hours, 21 minutes.
  • Woman (cumulative time) – Sunita Williams, 9 spacewalks for a total time of 62 hours, and 6 minutes.

Most spacewalks during a single mission

  • 7: Anatoly Solovyev, during Expedition 24 on the Soviet/Russian space station Mir, in 1997–98. (Two were internal "spacewalks" inside a depressurized module.)
  • 7: Andrew Morgan, during his first spaceflight on board the ISS for Expedition 60/61/62 in 2019–2020, he spent 45 hours and 48 minutes outside the station.

Longest spacewalks

  • Man – Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong, 9 hours 6 minutes, during the Shenzhou 19 mission on 17 December 2024, as they installed space debris protection devices on the exterior of the Tiangong Space Station.
  • Woman – Susan Helms, 8 hours 56 minutes, along with James Voss on an ISS assembly mission during Shuttle mission STS-102 on 11 March 2001. The spacewalkers were delayed early in their excursion when a device to help hold an astronaut's feet to the shuttle's robot arm became untethered, and Voss had to retrieve a spare from storage on the exterior of the station's Unity module. After about six hours of work, the pair reentered Space Shuttle Discovery's airlock.

Greatest distance from a spacecraft during a spacewalk

  • All-time (and while on a planetary body): 7.6 kilometers (4.7 miles, 25,029 feet), Apollo 17, Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt, EVA-2, December 12, 1972. During their second of three moonwalks, Cernan and Schmitt rode the Lunar Roving Vehicle to geological station 2, Nansen Crater, at the foot of the South Massif. As all spacewalks not occurring on a planetary body (the Moon) have involved short maximum distances from the spacecraft (see below), this remains the furthest distance that humans have traveled away from the safety of a pressurizable spacecraft, during an EVA of any type.
  • Orbital flight: about 100 meters (or 330 feet), Bruce McCandless, STS-41-B, February 7, 1984. With the exception of six Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) sorties in 1984 and a test of the Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER) in 1994, all other orbital spacewalks have involved a safety tether, anchoring the spacefarer to the spacecraft at a short distance. Of all spacewalks to date, Bruce McCandless' first test of the MMU established an orbital EVA distance record from a spacecraft which remained unbroken by later untethered EVAs.

Animal records

First animals in space

The first animals to enter space were fruit flies launched by the United States in 1947 aboard a V-2 rocket to an altitude of 68 mi. Albert II, a rhesus monkey, became the first mammal in space aboard a U.S. V-2 rocket on June 14, 1949, and died on reentry due to a parachute failure. The first dogs in space were launched 22 July 1951 aboard a Soviet R-1V. "Tsygin" and "Dezik" reached a height of 100 km and safely parachuted back to Earth.

First animal in orbit

Laika was a Soviet female canine launched on 3 November 1957 on Sputnik 2. The technology to de-orbit had not yet been developed, so there was no expectation for survival. She died several hours into flight. Belka and Strelka became the first canines to safely return to Earth from orbit on 19 August 1960.

First Hominidae in space

On 31 January 1961, through NASA's Mercury-Redstone 2 mission the chimpanzee Ham became the first great ape in space.

Longest canine single flight

Soviet space dogs Veterok (Ветерок, "Light Wind") and Ugolyok (Уголёк, "Ember") were launched on 22 February 1966 on board Cosmos 110 and spent 22 days in orbit before landing on 16 March.

First animals beyond low Earth orbit

An assortment of animals including a pair of Russian tortoises, as well as wine flies and mealworms flew around the Moon with a number of other biological specimens including seeds and bacteria on a circumlunar mission aboard the Soviet Zond 5 spacecraft on 18 September 1968. It had been launched by a Proton-K rocket on 14 September.

Zond 5 came within 2000 km of the Moon and then successfully returned to Earth, the first spacecraft in history to return safely to Earth from the Moon.

Notable uncrewed or non-human spaceflights

In reference to:SpacecraftEventOriginDate
EarthMW 18014 (A-4(V-2))First rocket to reach space (suborbital flight).Nazi Germany Germany20 June 1944
EarthV-2 No. 20First living organisms (fruit flies) in space (suborbital flight). Successfully recovered.USA USA20 February 1947
EarthV-2 No. 47First mammal in space, Albert II, a rhesus monkey (suborbital flight). Died in capsule parachute failure.USA USA14 June 1949
EarthR-1VFirst dogs in space (suborbital flight). Successfully recovered.Soviet Union USSR22 July 1951
EarthSputnik 1First satellite in orbit.Soviet Union USSR4 October 1957
EarthSputnik 2First animal in orbit, Laika, a dog.Soviet Union USSR3 November 1957
EarthVanguard 1Oldest satellite still in orbit, in addition to its upper launch stage. Expected to stay in orbit 240 years. Ceased transmission in May 1964.United States USA17 March 1958
EarthPioneer 1Failed to reach the Moon as intended, but reached a record–setting distance of 113,800 km from Earth.United States USA11 October 1958
EarthLuna 1First spacecraft to achieve Earth's escape velocity.Soviet Union USSR4 January 1959
MoonLuna 1First flyby. Distance of 5,995 km.Soviet Union USSR4 January 1959
SunLuna 1First spacecraft in heliocentric orbit.Soviet Union USSR4 January 1959
MoonLuna 2First impact on another celestial body.Soviet Union USSR14 September 1959
MoonLuna 3First image of lunar far-side.Soviet Union USSR7 October 1959
EarthDiscoverer 13First satellite recovered from orbit.United States USA11 August 1960
EarthKorabl-Sputnik 2First living beings recovered from orbit.USSR USSR19 August 1960
EarthMercury-Redstone 2First great ape or Hominidae in space, Ham, a chimpanzee (suborbital flight).USA USA31 January 1961
VenusVenera 1First flyby. Distance of 100,000 km (lost communication contact before).Soviet Union USSR19 May 1961
MoonRanger 4First spacecraft to impact the far side of the Moon.United States USA26 April 1962
EarthAlouette 1First satellite designed and constructed by a country other than the USA or USSR (the British satellite Ariel 1, launched five months earlier, was designed and constructed by the USA).Canada Canada29 September 1962
VenusMariner 2First planetary flyby with communication contact. Distance of 34,762 km.United States USA14 December 1962
EarthLincoln Calibration Sphere 1Oldest spacecraft still in use (59 years ).United States USA6 May 1965
MarsMariner 4First flyby and first planetary imaging. Distance of 9,846 km.United States USA14 July 1965
EarthAstérixFirst satellite launched independently by a nation other than the USA or USSR (other nations had previously flown satellites launched on American rockets).France France26 November 1965
MoonLuna 9First soft landing and first pictures from the lunar surface.Soviet Union USSR3 February 1966
EarthKosmos 110First seeds to germinate in space.Soviet Union USSR22 February 1966
VenusVenera 3First impact.Soviet Union USSR1 March 1966
MoonLuna 10First orbiter.Soviet Union USSR3 April 1966
DockingCosmos 186, Cosmos 188First automated docking of uncrewed spacecraft.Soviet Union USSR30 October 1967
MoonSurveyor 6First planned, controlled, powered flight from the surface of another body.United States USA17 November 1967
MoonZond 5Soviet Union USSR15 September 1968
MoonLuna 16First automated sample return.Soviet Union USSR24 September 1970
MoonLuna 17First robotic roving vehicle, Lunokhod 1.Soviet Union USSR17 November 1970
VenusVenera 7First soft landing on another planet.Soviet Union USSR15 December 1970
EarthSalyut 1First space station.Soviet Union USSR19 April 1971
MarsMariner 9First orbiter.United States USA14 November 1971
MarsMars 2First impact.Soviet Union USSR27 November 1971
MarsMars 3First soft landing. Maintained telemetry signal for 20 seconds before transmissions ceased.Soviet Union USSR2 December 1971
SunPioneer 10First spacecraft to achieve the Sun's escape velocity.United States USA3 March 1972
JupiterPioneer 10First flyby. Distance of 132,000 km.United States USA4 December 1973
MercuryMariner 10First flyby. Distance of 703 km.United States USA29 March 1974
VenusVenera 9Soviet Union USSR22 October 1975
MarsViking 1First surface-level imaging of Mars.USA USA20 July 1976
SaturnPioneer 11First flyby. Distance of 21,000 km.United States USA1 September 1979
VenusVenera 13First sound recording made on another planet.Soviet Union USSR1 March 1982
Orbital Space StationSoyuz T-5, Salyut 7First species of plant to flower in space. Arabidopsis thaliana Valentin Lebedev.Soviet Union USSR1 July 1982
Trans-Neptunian regionPioneer 10First to travel past the orbit of Neptune, the furthest major planet from the Sun.United States USA13 June 1983
VenusVega 1First helium balloon atmospheric probe. First flight (as opposed to atmospheric entry) in another planet's atmosphere.Soviet Union USSR11 June 1985
Comet Giacobini-ZinnerInternational Cometary Explorer (ICE)First flyby through a comet tail (no pictures). Distance of 7,800 km.USA USA11 September 1985
UranusVoyager 2First flyby. Distance of 81,500 km.United States USA24 January 1986
Comet HalleyVega 1First comet flyby (with pictures returned). Distance of 8,890 km.Soviet Union USSR6 March 1986
EarthMir Core Module, Kvant-1First modular space station.Soviet Union USSR9 April 1987
Orbital SpaceplaneBuranFirst fully automated orbital flight of a spaceplane (with airstrip landing).Soviet Union USSR15 November 1988
PhobosPhobos 2First flyby. Distance of 860 km.Soviet Union USSR21 February 1989
NeptuneVoyager 2First flyby. Distance of 40,000 km.United States USA25 August 1989
MoonHitenFirst lunar probe launched by a country other than the USA or USSR.Japan Japan18 March 1990
951 GaspraGalileoFirst asteroid flyby. Distance of 1,600 km.United States USA29 October 1991
JupiterGalileo probeFirst impact.United States USA7 December 1995
JupiterGalileoFirst orbiter.United States USA8 December 1995
MarsMars PathfinderFirst automated roving vehicle, Sojourner.United States USA4 July 1997
433 ErosNEAR ShoemakerFirst asteroid orbiter.United States USA14 February 2000
433 ErosNEAR ShoemakerFirst asteroid soft landing.United States USA12 February 2001
SaturnCassini orbiterFirst orbiter.1 July 2004
Solar windGenesisFirst sample return from farther than the Moon.United States USA8 September 2004
TitanHuygens probeFirst soft landing and the farthest landing ever made.14 January 2005
Comet Tempel 1Deep ImpactFirst comet impact.United States USA4 July 2005
25143 ItokawaHayabusaJapan Japan19 November 2005
81P/WildStardustFirst sample return from comet.United States USA15 January 2006
EarthVoyager 1United States USA
Longest time in operationVoyager 2Longest continually operating space probe (since August 1977).United States USA
MoonMoon Impact ProbeFirst impact on Lunar south pole and discovery of water on Moon.IND India14 November 2008
Earth to Venus trajectoryIKAROSFirst interplanetary solar sail.Japan JapanSet sail on 10 June 2010
25143 ItokawaHayabusaFirst sample return from an asteroid.Japan Japan13 June 2010
MercuryMESSENGERFirst orbiter.United States USA17 March 2011
Earth–Sun L2 Lagrange pointChang'e 2First spacecraft to reach the L2 Lagrangian point directly from lunar orbit.China China25 August 2011
International Space StationSpaceX Dragon 1First commercial spacecraft to berth with the International Space Station.United States USA25 May 2012
Interstellar mediumVoyager 1First spacecraft to cross the heliopause, thereby exiting the heliosphere and entering interstellar space.USA USA25 August 2012
4179 ToutatisChang'e 2China China13 December 2012
67P/Churyumov–GerasimenkoRosettaFirst comet orbiter.[[File:ESA logo simple.svg20pxlink=European Space Agency]] ESA6 August 2014
MarsMOMFirst Asian nation to achieve Mars orbit and first in the world to do so in first attempt.India India24 September 2014
67P/Churyumov–GerasimenkoPhilaeFirst comet soft landing.[[File:ESA logo simple.svg20pxlink=European Space Agency]] ESA12 November 2014
CeresDawnFirst dwarf planet orbiter.United States USA6 March 2015
MarsOpportunityLongest distance traveled on surface of another world (26.219 mi, marathon-length).United States USA23 March 2015
MercuryMESSENGERFirst impact.United States USA30 April 2015
PlutoNew HorizonsUnited States USA14 July 2015
All 9 planets in the pre-IAU redefinition version of the Solar SystemAll United States spacecraft including New HorizonsWith the New Horizons flyby of Pluto, the United States is the first nation to have its space probes explore all nine planets in the pre-2006 IAU redefinition version of the Solar System.United States USA14 July 2015
EarthFalcon 9 (B1021)First re-flight of an orbital class rocket stage after a vertical propulsive landing.United States USA30 March 2017
EarthShortest period between orbital launches (launched 72 seconds apart).{{unbulleted listUnited States USAJapan Japan}}
1.66 au heliocentric orbitElon Musk's Tesla Roadster on Falcon Heavy Test FlightFirst successful Deep Space mission launched successfully on a rocket's maiden flightUSA USA6 February 2018
MoonChang'e 4First soft landing at the far side of the Moon.China China3 January 2019
MoonYutu-2First lunar rover traversing the far side of the Moon.China China3 January 2019
MoonBeresheetFirst commercial/privately funded spacecraft to enter lunar orbit.Israel Israel4 April 2019
101955 BennuOSIRIS-RExSmallest body to be orbited by spacecraft (492 m diameter) and closest ever orbit (680 m altitude).USA USA12 June 2019
MoonYutu-2Longest operational lunar rover after breaking the longevity record of 321 Earth days held by Soviet Union's Lunokhod 1 rover.China China20 November 2019
MoonChang'e 5First robotic rendezvous and docking by two spacecraft (lunar orbiter attached with reentry-capsule and lunar ascent vehicle) in lunar orbit or any orbit other than Earth's.China China5 December 2020
MoonChang'e 5First robotic transfer of payload (lunar samples from lunar ascent vehicle to reentry capsule) between two docked spacecraft in lunar orbit or any orbit other than Earth's.China China5 December 2020
MarsIngenuityFirst controlled, powered flight by a rotary wing aircraft on another planet.USA USA19 April 2021
EarthZhuque-2First methane-fueled rocket to reach orbitChina China12 July 2023
MoonChandrayaan-3First soft landing at Lunar south polar region.India India23 August 2023
MoonIM-1 OdysseusFirst successful commercial and first cryogenic propelled lunar landing. First soft landing within the lunar south pole region atUSA USA22 February 2024
MoonChang'e 6First sample collection and return from the far side of the Moon.China China3 June, 25 June 2024
EarthFalcon 9Most consecutive launch successes of a single type of rocket: 365.USA USA14 January 2017 – 8 July 2024
EarthFalcon 9Most consecutive landing successes of a single type of rocket stage: 267.USA USA4 March 2021 – 20 August 2024
EarthFalcon 9 (B1067)Most vertical landings of a single orbital rocket stage: 29.USA USA3 June 2021 – 2 July 2025
EarthFalcon 9 (B1088)Shortest time between two flights of the same orbital rocket stage: 9 days, 3 hours, 49 minutesUSA USA12 March 2025 - 21 March 2025
SunParker Solar ProbeHighest velocity of a spacecraft relative to the Sun: 191.7 km/s (690,000 km/h; 430,000 mph).24 December 2024

Notes

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