Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were launched onboard in June.
With the arrival of three more people to the International Space Station (ISS), the Earth's orbit is right now busier than it has ever been. "After Wednesday's launch to the @Space_Station, there are now 19 humans in orbit—a new record for humanity. We're proud to help expand the boundaries of human exploration. Ad astra," read a post on the official X handle of NASA.
Earlier this week, three people travelled aboard the Russian Soyuz capsule towards the International Space Station. Among these were NASA astronaut Don Pettit as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. With this, the orbit around the Earth now has a record-breaking 19 people.
This has surpassed the previous record of 17, set last year, Space.com reported.
The earlier record in orbit was set in May 2023. Back then, there were a total of 17 people aboard both the International Space Station as well as China's Tiangong space station for a brief period of time.
With at least one person in the orbit at all times, the International Space Station has witness an enduring presence since 2000, USA Today reported.
The 19 people in space
Upon their arrival, Pettit, Ovchinin and Vagner have joined nine other astronauts and cosmonauts onboard the International Space Station. Among these are Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore, Michael Barratt, Tracy Caldwell-Dyson, Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps of NASA and cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Oleg Kononenko and Alexander Grebenkin.
The three people aboard the Tiangong space station are Li Guangsu, Li Cong and Ye Guangfu of the Shenzhou 18 mission.
Besides them, there are four astronauts, who are currently inhabiting a free-flying Crew Dragon. These include Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.
Launched on Tuesday, the Polaris Dawn mission is expected to last for five days.
Sunita Williams to return next year
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were launched onboard Crew Flight Test (CFT), the first-ever crewed mission of the Starliner capsule of Boeing, in June this year.
Although the mission was supposed to last a few days, NASA decided to keep the Starliner docked to the ISS after the capsule suffered thruster problems in orbit.
Ultimately, the Starliner returned to the Earth uncrewed, while Williams and Wilmore are now expected to return home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule in February 2025.