STS-72 (Endeavour)

This was a NASA-Japan co-sponsored flight to retrieve Japan's Space Flyer Unit as well as deploy and re-capture the free-flyer science platform.

The first reusable launch and landing spacecraft, the Space Shuttle began a new chapter of human space exploration. It launched like a rocket but landed on a runway like a plane. Shuttle crews deployed dozens of commercial satellites and two interplanetary probes to Venus and Jupiter. The Shuttle served as a mini space station and hosted hundreds of biomedical, psychological, physiological, materials science, and physics experiments that have directly benefited life on Earth. The five flight-worthy Shuttles -- Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour -- flew 135 missions over 30 years. The Shuttles helped construct the Russian Mir space station and brought nearly 80% of the International Space Station to orbit. Shuttles also deployed and serviced the Hubble Space Telescope.

Space Shuttle

Six Rats

United States of America

NASA

This astronaut crossed the Kármán Line (100 km), the internationally accepted boundary of space.

Crossed Kármán Line

This astronaut has spent over a month in space.

Space Resident

STS-57 (Endeavour)

This multifaceted mission saw the crew perform numerous biomedical and materials science experiments, retrieve ESA's European Retrievable Carrier satellite, and perform a spacewalk to test the Space Shuttle arm's ability to perform fine maneuvers while carrying a high-mass object.

STS-45 (Atlantis)

This was the first mission of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science pallet, a multinational effort from the U.S., France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Japan.

STS-92 (Discovery)

The 100th Space Shuttle flight brought a docking port, motion control system, communications system, and the Z1 truss structure to the International Space Station.

Brian Duffy

This astronaut visited the International Space Station.

ISS Visitor

STS-65 (Columbia)

This International Microgravity Laboratory-2 mission featured collaboration between NASA, ESA, Canada, France, Germany, and Japan on a multitude of microgravity and life sciences experiments.

Soyuz TMA-5

Soyuz TMA-5 ferried the two-person Expedition 10 crew to and from the International Space Station. Russian cosmonaut Shargin joined for a short duration mission, returning to Earth on Soyuz TMA-4.

Soyuz is a human-carrying capsule built and operated by Russia, capable of transporting up to three people to the Space Station at a time. It has been upgraded numerous times since its first use in the 1960s for the Soviet lunar program and was the only crewed vehicle for the Station from 2011 to 2020.

Soyuz

Leroy Chiao

STS-81 (Atlantis)

The fifth Space Shuttle docking to the Russian Mir space station delivered a new NASA crewmember to the outpost.

STS-97 (Endeavour)

The last human spaceflight launch of the 20th century delivered the P6 truss containing the first set of solar arrays and batteries for the International Space Station and outfitted a docking port for the following Space Shuttle assembly mission.

STS-115 (Atlantis)

Atlantis' crew resumed construction of the International Space Station with the delivery and installation of the P3/P4 truss, solar arrays, and batteries.

Brent W. Jett

STS-87 (Columbia)

This science mission saw the first spacewalk performed by a Japanese astronaut and continued spacewalk testing of construction and maintenance procedures for the upcoming International Space Station.

Winston E. Scott

NASDA

JAXA

SpaceX

This astronaut is in the top 5% for total time in space.

Elite Spaceflyer

Roscosmos

SpaceX Crew-5

Russia

Crew-5 is the fifth crewed operational NASA Commercial Crew flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the eight overall crewed orbital flight. This flight is using Crew Dragon capsule named Endurance making its second flight. This is the first U.S. crewed mission to carry a Russian cosmonaut since November, 2002.

Crew Dragon is the first privately built and operated orbital spacecraft capable of flying humans. As a reusable SpaceX capsule, it transports crew members to and from the International Space Station. It will also carry paying customers to the Station and low Earth orbit. While it typically accommodates a crew of four, this number can vary depending on the mission.

Crew Dragon

STS-119 (Discovery)

This Space Shuttle mission delivered the P6 truss, solar array, and battery fixture to the International Space Station, rotated an ISS crewmember, and continued electrical rewiring efforts.

Soyuz TMA-11M

Soyuz TMA-11M ferried three members of the Expedition 38 crew to the International Space Station.

Koichi Wakata

Japan

STS-96 (Discovery)

This flight was a resupply mission of Discovery to stockpile the International Space Station with equipment. The flight delivered parts of the Russian STRELA crane to the Station.

STS-105 (Discovery)

Discovery's mission rotated the Expedition 2 and 3 International Space Station crews and delivered thousands of kilograms of science supplies and experiments to the ISS.

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