# Since X Date, There Has Always Been at Least One Person in Space **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-x-date-there-has-always-been-at-least-one-person-in-space/503886 "2009-07-22T19:04:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-x-date-there-has-always-been-at-least-one-person-in-space/503886/1 "2009-07-22T19:04:24Z")
Is there a point in history from which we can say that, from this date forward, there has always been at least one person in space? If so, what is that date? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-x-date-there-has-always-been-at-least-one-person-in-space/503886/2 "2009-07-22T19:25:31Z")
The [last crew on Mir](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_TM-30) came back on June 16, 2000, and the [first ISS crew](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_1) launched on October 31, 2000. So I think the answer is October 31, 2000. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-x-date-there-has-always-been-at-least-one-person-in-space/503886/3 "2009-07-22T19:27:52Z")
The International Space Station has been continually staffed since November 2, 2000. The first crew came to the ISS on a mission called Expedition 1, which launched on October 31, 2000, so it would seem that October 31, 2000 is the date you’re after. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-x-date-there-has-always-been-at-least-one-person-in-space/503886/4 "2009-07-22T19:31:49Z")
When they got to the station, did they do the Smurf? ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-x-date-there-has-always-been-at-least-one-person-in-space/503886/5 "2009-07-22T20:15:25Z")
If you’re curious, according to [this list of Mir missions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mir_Expeditions) there was someone on board Mir (or travelling to or from it) from September 5, 1989 until August 28, 1999 — eight days shy of ten years. (The last Mir crew didn’t overlap with the second-to-last; it seems that the station was unoccupied for seven months.) I believe this is the longest sustained period (so far) that there has been someone in space. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-x-date-there-has-always-been-at-least-one-person-in-space/503886/6 "2009-07-23T02:43:18Z")
If Wikipedia is to be believed, the Shuttle was up from October 11, 2000 until about October 23. But for a few days’ gap, it almost pushed the date back a few weeks.