Nikolai Chub, born June 10, 1984 in the former USSR, went into space aboard Soyuz MS-24 as flight engineer to the International Space Station in September 2023. He participated in Expeditions 69-71 and conducted two EVAs, for a total of twelve hours, seventeen minutes.
He returned to Earth aboard Soyuz MS-25 in September 2024 after almost 374 days in space.
Denis Matveev, born April 25, 1983 in Leningrad, Soviet Union, went into space aboard Soyuz MS-21, launched in March 2022 to the International Space Station. He participated in Expeditions 66-67, during which he conducted four EVAs for a total of twenty-six hours.
He spent almost 195 days in space. Matveev retired after this mission.
Gregory Harbaugh, born April 15, 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio, went into space four times.
His first mission was aboard Discovery (STS-39) as mission specialist in April 28, 1991. The mission was dedicated to the US Department of Defense. He spent over 8 days in space, returning to Earth on May 6.
His second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-54) as mission specialist launched January 13, 1993. During the mission, Harbaugh and fellow astronaut Mario Runco conducted a 5 hour EVA in the cargo bay to advance NASA's understanding of working in space. He spent almost 6 days in space, returning to Earth January 19.
His third mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-71) as mission specialist to the Russian space station Mir, the third mission in the Shuttle-Mir program, launched June 27, 1995. He spent almost 10 days in space, returning to Earth, July 7.
His fourth and final trip into space was aboard Discovery (STS-82) as mission specialist, launched February 11, 1997. It was the second mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. He and fellow astronaut Joseph Tanner conducted two EVAs during the mission for a total of about fifteen hours. He spent almost 10 days in space before returning to Earth on February 21.
David Saint-Jacques, born January 6, 1970 in Quebec City, Canada, went into space aboard Soyuz MS-11 to the International Space Station in December 2018. He participated in Expeditions 57-59 and conducted an EVA for 6 hours, 29 minutes. He spent almost 204 days in space before returning to Earth in June 2019.
Raja Chari, born June 24, 1977 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa, went into space aboard SpaceX Crew-3 to the International Space Station. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1999, and attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance AFB in Enid, Oklahoma. In December 2020, he was selected for the Artemis Team, to help pave the way back to the moon.
He was commander of the SpaceX Crew-3 in the Endurance, launched November 11, 2021 to the ISS. He participated in Expeditions 66-67 and conducted 2 EVAs, lasting a total of almost 14 hours, during his stay. Chari returned to Earth in May 2022 after 174 days in space.
Shenzhou 12 crew (L-R): Tang Hongbo, Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming
Shenzhou 12 mission patch
Shenzhou 12, launched June 17, 2021, carried three taikonauts on the first flight to the Tiangong space station. It was also the first crewed Chinese flight since Shenzhou 11 in 2016. Its crew consisted of Commander Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo. The crew conducted two EVAs during their stay.
Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo conducted the first spacewalk on July 4, completing installation of the station's robotic arm, and installed exterior equipment for use on future missions. Their EVA lasted 6 hours 46 minutes.
The two taikonauts conducted a second EVA on August 20 to test spacecraft equipment, install a backup thermal control pump, and installed and raised panoramic camera D on the Tianhe core module. The EVA lasted almost 6 hours.
The crew returned to Earth on September 17, after more than 92 days in space.
Bruce McCandless II, born June 8, 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts, went into space twice. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1958, and received flight training from the Naval Air Training Command in Pensacola, Florida and in Kingsville, Texas.
He was selected as an astronaut in the NASA Astronaut Group 5 at age 28, the youngest member of the group. He served as mission control capsule communicator (CAPCOM) during Apollo 11. He served as CAPCOM for Apollo 14, as well as astronaut support crew. He was reassigned to the Skylab program, serving as CAPCOM for Skylab 3 and Skylab 4.
His first mission was aboard Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41-B) as mission specialist in February 1984. During the mission he performed the first untethered spacewalk, using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), traveling 322 ft away from the shuttle. He spent eight days in space.
His second mission was aboard Discovery (STS-31) as mission specialist in April 1990. He was planning to conduct an EVA with fellow astronaut Kathryn Sullivan to fix and array that could not be deployed through ground control, but the problem was fixed without the need of an EVA. He returned to Earth after 5 days in space.
STS-111 crew (L-R): Philippe Perrin, Paul Lockhart, Kenneth Cockrell, Franklin Chang Diaz
STS-111 mission patch
Expedition 5 crew (L-R): Valery Korzun, Peggy Whitson, Sergei Treshchov
Expedition 4 crew (L-R): Daniel Bursch, Yuri Onufrienko, Carl Walz
Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-111), launched June 5, 2002, carried members of Expedition 5 to the International Space Station. Endeavour's crew consisted of Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart, Philippe Perrin (CNES), and Franklin Chang Diaz on his seventh and final flight. The members of Expedition 5 consisted of Valery Korzun (Roscosmos), Peggy Whitson, and Sergei Treshchov (Roscosmos).
Chang Diaz and Perrin conducted three EVAs during the mission. Endeavour returned to Earth after almost two weeks in space with the members of Expedition 4: Yuri Onufrienko (Roscosmos), Carl Walz, and Daniel Bursch.
Robert "Shane" Kimbrough, born June 4, 1967 in Killeen, Texas, has been in space three times.
He graduated from the US Military Academy and flew Apache helicopters in the Operation Desert Storm. He joined NASA in 2000 and was part of the first group of astronauts selected following the Columbia disaster.
His first mission into space was aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-126) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in November 2008. He conducted two EVAs, lasting a total of almost 13 hours. He spent almost 16 days in space.
Kimbrough's second trip into space was aboard Soyuz MS-02 as flight engineer to the ISS in October 2016. He participated in Expeditions 49-50. He carried a soccer ball belonging to Ellison Onizuka, who died in the Challenger disaster to the ISS. He returned to Earth in April 2017, after over 173 days in space.
His third mission into space was aboard SpaceX Crew-2 as commander to the ISS in April 2021 to the ISS. He participated in Expeditions 65-66. He returned to Earth in November 2021, after more than 199 days in space, the longest US mission to date.
Endeavour crew (L-R): Douglas Hurley, Robert Behnken
SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 (Endeavour), launched May 30, 2020, was the first crewed orbital spaceflight launched from the US since the end of the Space Shuttle project in 2011. Its crew consisted of Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken, both veterans of the space shuttle program. Nineteen hours after launch, Endeavour docked with the International Space Station.
Behnken and Hurley worked with Expedition 63, and Behnken conducted four EVAs with fellow astronaut Chris Cassidy. After sixty-two days, Endeavour undocked from the ISS and splashed down thirteen hours later. It was the first water landing by astronauts since 1975.
Paul Richards, born May 20, 1964 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, went into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery (STS-102) to the International Space Station as a mission specialist in March 2001. The mission was to carry the crew of Expedition 2 to the ISS and bring home Expedition 1.
During the mission, Richards and fellow astronaut Andrew Thomas performed an EVA which lasted 6 hours and 21 minutes.
Richards returned to Earth after almost 13 days in space. He retired from NASA in February 2002 to pursue private interests.
Members of the Shenzhou 17, the sixth mission to the Tiangong space station, landed safely today in Inner Mongolia, China. The crew consisted of Commander Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin. It was Tang Hongbo's second mission and the first person to visit the space station twice. The spaceflight launched October 26, 2023.
Tang Shengjie is the youngest taikonaut to perform a spacewalk at 34. The crew performed 2 EVAs for a total of 15 hours and 17 minutes.
Front row (L-R): Ken Bowersox, Kathryn Thornton, Story Musgrave, Claude Nicollier
Back row (L-R): Richard Covey, Jeffrey Hoffman, Thomas Akers
STS-61 mission patch
Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-61), launched December 2, 1993, was the first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Its crew consisted of Commander Richard Covey, Pilot Ken Bowersox, Kathryn Thornton, Claude Nicollier (ESA), Jeffrey Hoffman, Story Musgrave, and Thomas Akers. The crew conducted 5 EVAs during the mission. Musgrave and Hoffman conducted three EVAs for a total of around 22 hours. Thornton and Akers performed two spacewalks for about 13 hours.
They returned to Earth December 13, after spending almost 11 days in space.
Thomas "Ken" Mattingly, an American astronaut who went into space three times, passed away October 31. He was 87.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, he moved with his family to Hialeah, Florida and soon, airplanes became an early fascination. He graduated from Miami Edison High School in 1954 and received a BS degrees in aeronautical engineering from Auburn University in 1958. He then joined the navy and in 1966 he was selected as an astronaut.
He was scheduled to be the Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 13 mission, but he was removed form the mission because he had been exposed to German measles (which he didn't catch) and was replaced by Jack Swigert. Mattingly did play a large role in helping the crew get safely back to Earth.
He was placed onto the crew of Apollo 16, the fifth lunar landing mission with John Young and Charlie Duke. Mattingly and Young were the only two Apollo astronauts to fly on the Space Shuttle missions. Mattingly carried out an EVA to retrieve film and data packages from the science bay on the side of the service module.
Mattingly served as commander of Columbia (STS-4) in June 1982, the fourth and final orbital test of Columbia.
He served as commander on Discovery (STS-51-C), a Department of Defense mission, in January 1985.
He retired from the Navy in 1986 as Rear admiral. He passed away in Arlington, Virginia.
On Day 7 of Challenger's (STS-41-G) historic flight, the crew wok up to Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver. David Leestma and Kathryn Sullivan donned their space suits, with help from Jon McBride, to conduct an EVA. They maneuvered to the ORS, situated at the rear of the cargo bay. Leestma installed a valve assembly into the simulated Landsat propulsion plumbing.
Sullivan secured the Ku antenna as they headed back to the air lock. One of the two motors that steered the Ku antenna failed on the first day, but Mission Control managed to devise a workaround for it so it would point at the TDRS satellite and send the stored data to NASA. The EVA lasted 3 hours and 29 minutes and Sullivan became the first American woman to conduct a spacewalk.
Astronaut James Voss, born March 3, 1949 in Cordova, Alabama, is a veteran of 5 space shuttle flights. He graduated from Auburn University in 1972 with a Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Army. He attended the University of Colorado and graduated with a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering Sciences.
His first trip into space was aboard Atlantis (STS-44) as mission specialist in November-December 1991. The crew was scheduled for a ten-day mission but was scrubbed after only 6 days, due to failure of one of the three orbiter inertial measurement units.
His second trip was aboard Discovery (STS-53) as mission specialist in December 1992. The payload was a classified by the US Department of Defense. Voss and the crew spent over 7 days in space.
His third mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-69) as mission specialist in September 1995. During the mission, Voss conducted an EVA with fellow astronaut Michael Gernhardt which lasted o6 hours 46 minutes. The crew spent nearly 11 days in space.
Voss's fourth trip into space was aboard Atlantis (STS-101) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in May 2000. During the mission, he conducted another EVA with fellow astronaut Jeffrey Williams which lasted 6 hours and 44 minutes. The crew spent nearly 10 days in space.
His fifth and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-102) as mission specialist launched in March 2001 to the International Space Station. Along with fellow astronauts Susan Helms (who celebrated her birthday last week) and cosmonaut Yuri Usachov, he participated in Expedition 2 aboard the ISS. He and Voss conducted the longest EVA to date: 8 hours, 56 minutes. They returned to Earth in August 2001 aboard Discovery (STS-105).
Susan Jane Helms, born February 26, 1958 in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a veteran of five Space Shuttle flights. She attained the rank of Lieutenant General in the US Air Force before retiring.
Her first mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-54) as mission specialist in January 1993. She spent almost 6 days in space, making 96 orbits of Earth.
Her second mission was aboard Discovery (STS-64) as mission specialist in September 1994. She spent almost 11 days in space and completed 176 orbits of Earth.
Her third mission was aboard Columbia (STS-78) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in June-July 1996. She spent almost 17 days in space and completed 271 orbits of Earth.
Her fourth trip was aboard Atlantis (STS-101) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in May 2000. The wake up call on Day 2, Free Fallin' by Tom Petty was dedicated to Helms. She spent almost 10 days in space and completed 155 orbits of Earth.
Her fifth and final mission started on Discovery (STS-102) as mission specialist to the International Space Station launched in March 2001. She participated in Expedition 2 on the ISS, conducting an EVA on March 11. She returned to Earth aboard Discovery (STS-105) in August 2001, having spent over 167 days in space.
Wang Yaping, born January 1980 in Shandong, China, is the second Chinese woman in space, and the first Chinese woman to perform a spacewalk. She set a record for the longest stay in space by a female Chinese astronaut in April 2022 with a total of 197 days.
Her first trip into space was aboard Shenzhou 10 as Laboratory Assistant to Tiangong 1 in June 2013. The crew returned to Earth 14 days and 14.5 hours later.
Her second mission was aboard Shenzhou 13 as Operator to the Tianhe core module, the first part of the Tiangong space station in October 2021. During the mission, she conducted an EVA in November 2021 with fellow astronaut Zhai Zhigang to install the robotic arm suspension and perform some routine tests. The EVA lasted 6 hours, 25 minutes. The crew returned to Earth in April 2022.
Shenzhou 15 crew (L-R): Fei Junlong, Deng Quingming, Zhang Lu
China successfully launched Shenzhou 15 earlier today, its tenth manned mission of the Shenzhou program, and the fifteenth flight overall, to the Tiangong Space Station. Its crew consists of Commander Fei Junlong, Deng Quingming, and Zhang Lu.
They will meet with the crew of Shenzhou 14, who launched in June 2022 and plan to return in December. The Shenzhou 15 crew is planned to conduct 3-4 EVAs, in addition to their scientific experiments and payload work. They are scheduled to return in May 2023.
Nicholas Patrick, born November 19, 1964 in Yorkshire, England, has spent almost a month in space.
His first mission was aboard Discovery (STS-116) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in December 2006. He spent almost 13 days in space, 7 of those docked at the space station.
His second and final mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-130) as mission specialist to the ISS in February 2010. He conducted 3 EVAs with fellow astronaut Robert Behnken for a total of more than 18 hours. He spent almost 14 days in space and completed 217 orbits.
