how many astronauts are there
Quick answer: it depends what you mean by “astronauts.” NASA says it has selected 370 astronaut candidates since its start, with 47 active astronauts as of November 2024, while a broader international database says over 500 astronauts from almost 40 countries have traveled to space.
Two common meanings
- Active astronauts in one agency: NASA’s current astronaut corps is much smaller than the total number ever selected. NASA’s public fact pages list 47 active astronauts and 370 selected astronaut candidates overall.
- People who have ever been to space: A broader international count puts the total at over 500 astronauts/cosmonauts from nearly 40 countries.
If you meant “right now”
There are usually only a handful of people in space at any moment; one source describing the current space-station crews reported 10 people in orbit at that time, split across astronauts, cosmonauts, and taikonauts.
Quick note
Different sources count differently, so the exact number changes based on whether you mean:
- NASA astronauts only
- all people who have ever flown to space
- people currently in space
If you want, I can give you the exact current number of people in space today or the total number of astronauts ever in history.