# Dopers in Space **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745 "2003-01-24T23:32:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![banks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/banks)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/1 "2003-01-24T23:32:14Z")
Well, maybe this isn’t the right board for this, but I’m damned if I know which one is correct. So if it’s not, please, Mr Moderator, take pity on the poor newbie and move the thread without eviscerating me in the process. I know that a good number of dopers here have been on jeopardy. For some un-knowable reason, this caused me to wonder: are than any participants on these boards who have been involved in a space program in an astronaut/cosmonaut role? I’m doubtful there are, but I’m curious. Also, a general question: How many people have been in orbit/space? ---
**Author:** ![banks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/banks)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/2 "2003-01-24T23:33:18Z")
er, by the last question there, I mean total, in the history of space exploration. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/3 "2003-01-24T23:42:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by banks \* > \*\*Also, a general question: How many people have been in orbit/space? \*\* Shoot, I can think of _several dopers who have flown out of orbit._ Oh, you mean actually _been_ in space? I don’t think any of us have… I mean, I haven’t seen a “Ask the guy who’s been in space” thread. ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/4 "2003-01-25T00:14:19Z")
Space? Hell, there are several Dopers that seem to be logging in from other planets. ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/5 "2003-01-26T03:46:35Z")
Klatu Barada Nikto ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/6 "2003-01-26T04:12:34Z")
I haven’t been in space, but I’ve co-authored two articles with Ron McNair, who made one successful Shuttle trip. Tragically, he was on his second shuttle trip on the Challenger the morning the O-ring froze, causing it to blow up. You always hear about school teacher Christa MacAuliffe on that flight, but rarely about the others. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/7 "2003-01-26T16:01:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sock Munkey \* > \*\*Klatu Barada Nikto \*\* Necktie, Nickle, Noodle, Shoot! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/8 "2003-01-26T20:16:33Z")
This is primarily a poll, so I’ll move this thread to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/9 "2003-01-26T22:06:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by banks \* > \*\*Also, a general question: How many people have been in orbit/space? \*\* According to [CBS News](http://cbsnews.cbs.com/network/news/space/spacestats.html#GENERAL), There have been a total of 430 different people who’ve flown in space. Eric ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/10 "2003-01-26T23:04:15Z")
I would add a few names to that CBS list, although at some point you have to ask exactly what criteria you’re using for the term “fly in space”. During the X-15 research program, eight pilots flew to an altitude of greater than 50 miles. The military uses that as the standard, and the five Air Force pilots (the other three were civilians working for NASA) were awarded astronaut wings. One of the eight, Joseph Engle, was picked as one of the fifth group of NASA astronauts and flew two missions on the shuttle. So the number’s up to 437, depending on how you look at it. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/11 "2003-01-27T00:00:53Z")
Quite right, **RA**. I thought about mentioning that, but was too lazy to go looking up that info as well. 🙂 If you go by the USAF definition of space (50 miles), there would would be seven additional astronauts. If you go by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale’s definition (100 kilometers) there would only be one additional astronaut: Joe Walker. If only considering people who’ve actually orbited the earth, none of them count. Okay, enough space minutia from me from now… 🙂 Eric ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/12 "2003-01-27T03:37:58Z")
[sub]**"Also, a general question: How many people have been in orbit/space? "[/sub]** Well, from Mars alone there’s me and **Tars Tarkas** and **Podkayne** … 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/13 "2003-01-27T03:45:10Z")
Now ask, “Who would **like** to go?” and stand way back from the monitor. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_The\_Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Buck\_The\_Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_The_Diver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-space/150745/14 "2003-01-27T04:59:52Z")
I’m willing to bet our resident **Bad Astronomer** knows more about space than any of them.