Timeline of space travel by nationality - wikipedia Timeline of space travel by nationality This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2017 ) Map of countries ( and successor states ) whose citizens have flown in space as of September 2015. Note : citizens from the now - defunct East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Soviet Union have also flown in space. Since the first human spaceflight by the Soviet Union, citizens of 40 countries have flown in space. For each nationality, the launch date of the first mission is listed. The list is based on the nationality of the person at the time of the launch. Only 3 of the 40 `` first flyers '' have been women ( Helen Sharman for the United Kingdom in 1991, Anousheh Ansari for Iran in 2006, and Yi So - yeon for South Korea in 2008 ). Only three nations ( Soviet Union / Russia, U.S., China ) have launched their own manned spacecraft, with the Soviets / Russians and the American programs providing rides to other nations ' astronauts. Twenty - six `` first flights '' occurred on Soviet or Russian flights while the United States carried thirteen. Contents 1 Timeline 2 Notes 3 Other claims 4 Gallery 5 References 6 External links Timeline Note : All dates given are UTC. Countries indicated in bold have achieved independent human spaceflight capability. No. Country Name Flight Date ( UTC ) 1960s Soviet Union Yuri Gagarin Vostok 1 12 April 1961 United States Alan Shepard MR - 3 5 May 1961 1970s Czechoslovakia Vladimír Remek Soyuz 28 2 March 1978 Poland Mirosław Hermaszewski Soyuz 30 27 June 1978 5 East Germany Sigmund Jähn Soyuz 31 26 August 1978 6 Bulgaria Georgi Ivanov Soyuz 33 10 April 1979 1980s 7 Hungary Bertalan Farkas Soyuz 36 26 May 1980 8 Vietnam Phạm Tuân Soyuz 37 23 July 1980 9 Cuba Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez Soyuz 38 18 September 1980 10 Mongolia Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa Soyuz 39 22 March 1981 11 Romania Dumitru Prunariu Soyuz 40 14 May 1981 12 France Jean - Loup Chrétien Soyuz T - 6 24 June 1982 13 West Germany Ulf Merbold STS - 9 28 November 1983 14 India Rakesh Sharma Soyuz T - 11 3 April 1984 15 Canada Marc Garneau STS - 41 - G 5 October 1984 16 Saudi Arabia Sultan al - Saud STS - 51 - G 17 June 1985 17 Netherlands Wubbo Ockels STS - 61 - A 30 October 1985 18 Mexico Rodolfo Neri Vela STS - 61 - B 26 November 1985 19 Syria Muhammed Faris Soyuz TM - 3 22 July 1987 20 Afghanistan Abdul Ahad Mohmand Soyuz TM - 6 29 August 1988 1990s 21 Japan Toyohiro Akiyama Soyuz TM - 11 2 December 1990 22 United Kingdom Helen Sharman Soyuz TM - 12 18 May 1991 23 Austria Franz Viehböck Soyuz TM - 13 2 October 1991 24 Russia Aleksandr Kaleri Aleksandr Viktorenko Soyuz TM - 14 17 March 1992 25 Belgium Dirk Frimout STS - 45 24 March 1992 26 Italy Franco Malerba STS - 46 31 July 1992 27 Switzerland Claude Nicollier STS - 46 31 July 1992 28 Ukraine Leonid Kadenyuk STS - 87 19 November 1997 29 Spain Pedro Duque STS - 95 29 October 1998 30 Slovakia Ivan Bella Soyuz TM - 29 20 February 1999 2000s 31 South Africa Mark Shuttleworth Soyuz TM - 34 25 April 2002 32 Israel Ilan Ramon STS - 107 16 January 2003 33 China Yang Liwei Shenzhou 5 15 October 2003 34 Brazil Marcos Pontes Soyuz TMA - 8 30 March 2006 35 Iran Anousheh Ansari Soyuz TMA - 9 18 September 2006 36 Sweden Christer Fuglesang STS - 116 10 December 2006 37 Malaysia Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Soyuz TMA - 11 10 October 2007 38 South Korea Yi So - yeon Soyuz TMA - 12 8 April 2008 2010s 39 Denmark Andreas Mogensen Soyuz TMA - 18M 2 September 2015 40 Kazakhstan Aidyn Aimbetov Soyuz TMA - 18M 2 September 2015 Notes The first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, held citizenship in both the Soviet Union and the Russian SFSR, according to the applicable provisions of the Constitution of the Soviet Union. In 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved, and was replaced by Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. At the time of the dissolution, Sergei Krikalev and Alexander Volkov were orbiting Earth on Mir, having been launched into orbit as Soviet citizens, and having returned to the Earth as Russian citizens. Kaleri and Viktorenko were the first Russians to be launched into orbit as Russian citizens only, their launch having occurred subsequent to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Under Fédération Aéronautique Internationale rules, the Vostok missions are not deemed true spaceflights, as cosmonauts did not land with the spacecraft ( they ejected from the spacecraft and landed separately ). The first Soviet mission that did fulfill this requirement was Voskhod 1. ( Reference : `` FAI Astronautic Records Commission -- Sporting Code Section 8 '' ( PDF ). Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2006 - 05 - 26. Retrieved 2006 - 04 - 09. ) However, despite this issue, the FAI does recognize Yuri Gagarin as the first person to complete a spaceflight. ( Reference : `` FAI Award : The Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal ''. Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from the original on 2007 - 10 - 13. Retrieved 2007 - 10 - 10. ) Shepard 's spaceflight was suborbital. The first American to be launched into Earth orbit was John Glenn, on 20 February 1962. In 1993, Czechoslovakia dissolved and was replaced by the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 1978, both Jähn himself and the German Democratic Republic pronounced him the `` first German in space '', rather than the first `` citizen of the German Democratic Republic in space ''. In 1990, the states of the former East Germany acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany. On 22 January 1992, Ulf Merbold again traveled into space, now representing the reunited Germany within the Federal Republic of Germany. Jähn is, nevertheless, still considered the first German in space, even in the states of the Federal Republic of Germany that comprised the former West Germany. This person flew as a commercial, non-governmental space traveller. Apart from Akiyama and Sharman, these space travellers are known as space tourists. Ilan Ramon was the first Israeli to go into space, but Ramon died during reentry during the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Again, this was not deemed a complete spaceflight under FAI rules. Although recognized as an Iranian citizen by Iranian law, Ansari is also an American citizen and was prohibited from wearing Iranian state symbols by both the United States and Russian governments. Other claims The above list uses the nationality at the time of launch. Lists with differing criteria might include the following people : Pavel Popovich, first launched 12 August 1962, was the first Ukrainian - born man in space. At the time, Ukraine was a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Michael Collins, first launched 18 July 1966 was born in Italy to American parents and was an American citizen when he went into space. William Anders, American citizen, first launched 21 December 1968, was the first Hong Kong - born man in space. Vladimir Shatalov, first launched 14 January 1969, was the first Kazakh - born man in space. At the time, Kazakhstan was a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Bill Pogue, first launched 16 November 1973, as an inductee to the 5 Civilized Tribes Hall of Fame can lay claim to being the first Native American in space. See John Herrington below regarding technicality of tribal registration. Pyotr Klimuk, first launched 18 December 1973, was the first Belorussian - born man in space. At the time, Belarus was a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Vladimir Dzhanibekov, first launched 16 March 1978, was the first Uzbek - born man in space. At the time, Uzbekistan was a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Paul D. Scully - Power, first launched 5 October 1984, was born in Australia, but was an American citizen when he went into space. Taylor Gun - Jin Wang, first launched 29 April 1985, was born in China to Chinese parents, but was an American citizen when he went into space. Lodewijk van den Berg, first launched 29 April 1985, was born in the Netherlands, but was an American citizen when he went into space. Patrick Baudry, first launched 17 June 1985, was born in French Cameroun ( now part of Cameroon ), but was a French citizen when he went into space. Shannon Lucid, first launched 17 June 1985, was born in China to American parents of European descent, and was an American citizen when she went into space. Franklin Chang - Diaz, first launched 12 January 1986, was born in Costa Rica, but was an American citizen when he went into space Musa Manarov, first launched 21 December 1987, was the first Azerbaijan - born man in space. At the time, Azerbaijan was a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Anatoly Solovyev, first launched 7 June 1988, was the first Latvian - born man in space. At the time, Latvia was a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Volkov became Russian rather than Soviet citizens while still in orbit aboard Mir, making them the first purely Russian citizens in space. James H. Newman, American citizen, first launched 12 September 1993, was born in the portion of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands that is now the Federated States of Micronesia. Talgat Musabayev, first launched 1 July 1994, was born in the Kazakh SSR and is known in Kazakhstan as the `` first cosmonaut of independent Kazakhstan '', but was a Russian citizen when he went into space. Frederick W. Leslie, American citizen, first launched 20 October 1995, was born in Panama Canal Zone ( now Panama ). Carlos I. Noriega, first launched 15 May 1997, was born in Peru, but was an American citizen when he went into space. Bjarni Tryggvason, first launched 7 August 1997, was born in Iceland, but was a Canadian citizen when he went into space. Salizhan Sharipov, first launched 22 January 1998, was born in Kyrgyzstan ( then the Kirghiz SSR ), but was a Russian citizen when he went into space. Sharipov is of Uzbek ancestry. Philippe Perrin, first launched 5 June 2002, was born in Morocco, but was a French citizen when he went into space. John Herrington, an American citizen first launched 24 November 2002, is the first tribal registered Native American in space ( Chickasaw ). See also Bill Pogue above. Fyodor Yurchikhin, first launched 7 October 2002, was born in Georgia ( then the Georgian SSR ). He was a Russian citizen at the time he went into space and is of Pontian Greek descent. Joseph M. Acaba, first launched 15 March 2009, was born in the U.S. state of California to American parents of Puerto Rican descent. Gallery The Soviet Union 's Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space. Alan Shepard from the United States of America, the second nation to send a person into space. Yang Liwei of China, the third nation to launch a person into space. Vladimír Remek of Czechoslovakia, the first Czechoslovak national in space. Mirosław Hermaszewski of Poland, the first Polish national in space. Sigmund Jähn of East Germany, the first German in space. References ^ Jump up to : `` BBC News - Sci / Tech - Expensive ticket to ride ''. News.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017. Jump up ^ `` BBC News - SCI / TECH - Space tourist lifts off ''. News.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017. Jump up ^ `` BBC NEWS - Science / Nature - Lift - off for woman space tourist ''. News.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017. Jump up ^ MAN IN THE NEWS : FRANKLIN R. CHANG - DIAZ ; A DREAMER IN SPACE, Malcolm W. Browne, The New York Times, January 13, 1986 Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2015 - 04 - 29. Retrieved 2015 - 08 - 19. Jump up ^ Bukharbayeva, Bagila ( 20 June 2004 ). `` Kazakhstan Gets a Bigger Say in Space Launch Site ''. Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 11 August 2017. External links Current Space Demographics, compiled by William Harwood, CBS News Space Consultant, and Rob Navias, NASA. Spaceflight lists and timelines Timeline of spaceflight General Space exploration outline timeline Spaceflight records Space Race Asian Space Race Rocket and missile technology Human spaceflight General Manned spacecraft timeline Spaceflights 1961 -- 70 1971 -- 80 1981 -- 90 1991 -- 2000 2001 -- 10 2011 -- present by program Soviet Russian Vostok Soyuz Mercury Gemini Apollo Skylab Shenzhou Spacelab Salyut Expeditions Spaceflights manned unmanned Spacewalks Visitors Mir Expeditions Spaceflights manned unmanned Spacewalks Visitors ISS Expeditions Spaceflights manned unmanned Spacewalks Visitors Shuttle Crews Missions timeline Rollbacks People Astronauts by name by year of selection by first flight Apollo Gemini Chinese European Cosmonauts female Jewish Muslim Arab African - American Space travelers by name Space travelers by nationality timeline EVA 1965 -- 1999 2000 -- 2014 2015 -- present Cumulative spacewalk records Spacewalkers Solar System exploration Timeline Interplanetary voyages Landings on other planets artificial objects Objects at Lagrangian points Probes active leaving the Solar System lunar probes Missions to the Moon Timeline of satellites Sample - return mission Mars Earth - orbiting satellites Climate research Communications satellite firsts CubeSats PocketQube Earth observation satellites timeline Geosynchronous orbit GOES Kosmos Magnetospheric NRO TDRS USA Vehicles Orbital launch systems Comparison Sounding rockets Spacecraft unmanned manned Upper stages Launches by rocket type Ariane Atlas Black Brant Falcon 9 and Heavy Long March Proton R - 7 ( including Semyorka, Molniya, Vostok, Voskhod and Soyuz ) Scout Thor and Delta Titan V - 2 tests Zenit Launches by spaceport Satish Dhawan Agencies, companies and facilities Communications satellite companies comparison Private spaceflight companies Rocket launch sites Space agencies Spacecraft manufacturers Other mission lists and timelines First orbital launches by country NASA missions Constellation missions Timeline of private spaceflight Timeline of longest spaceflights Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Timeline_of_space_travel_by_nationality&oldid=823941019 '' Categories : Lists of astronauts by nationality Lists of firsts Spaceflight timelines Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from August 2017 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Deutsch Español Français 한국어 Italiano 日本 語 Polski Русский Suomi Svenska Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 4 February 2018, at 10 : 15. 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Question: which country was the first to go to space
Answer: the Soviet Union