The record of finding people in low-earth orbit can be broken, the expert said

MOSCOW, 15 Sep. A quarter-century record for the number of people simultaneously in low-Earth orbit could be broken on September 16, the famous astronautics historian Alexander Zheleznyakov told RIA Novosti. In March 1995, a record was set for 13 people simultaneously in orbit: six cosmonauts were on the Russian Mir station and seven on the American shuttle Endeavor. This achievement has not been exceeded so far. In July 2009, the same number of people flew at the same time on the International Space Station. «When there were two Russian ships with full crews at the Mir station, that is, six people, and an American shuttle with seven astronauts flew, the total was 13 people. It was the moment when the largest number of cosmonauts was in low-Earth orbit, «Zheleznyakov said. Now seven cosmonauts are working on the ISS — Russians Oleg Novitsky and Peter Dubrov, Americans Mark Wande Hai, Shane Kimbrow and Megan MacArthur, Japanese Akihiko Hoshide (station commander) and Frenchman Tom Pesquet. In addition, the Chinese Tiangong orbital station is currently flying three Chinese cosmonauts — Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo. Meanwhile, on the night of September 16 from the Kennedy Space Center (Florida) it is planned to launch a Falcon launch vehicle 9 with the crewed spacecraft Crew Dragon. The crew of the Inspiration4 mission, which is of a charity nature and aims to raise funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which specializes in childhood cancers, is composed of four US citizens — businessman Jared Isaacman, researcher Sian Proctor, medic Hayley Arsenox and US Air Force veteran Christopher Sembroski. The flight will last three days in a near-earth orbit with an altitude of about 540 kilometers. «After the launch of the Inspiration4 mission, if it takes place on September 16, there will be a moment when there will be 14 people in space at the same time. And then the record for the population of the near-earth orbit will be broken,» he noted. Zheleznyakov. Soyuz rocket launched from Baikonur with British satellites OneWeb