<P> 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 . </P> <P> Note: All dates given are UTC . Countries indicated in bold have achieved independent human spaceflight capability . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No . </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Flight </Th> <Th> Date (UTC) </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> 1960s </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Soviet Union </Td> <Td> Yuri Gagarin </Td> <Td> Vostok 1 </Td> <Td> 12 April 1961 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Alan Shepard </Td> <Td> MR - 3 </Td> <Td> 5 May 1961 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> 1970s </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Czechoslovakia </Td> <Td> Vladimír Remek </Td> <Td> Soyuz 28 </Td> <Td> 2 March 1978 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Poland </Td> <Td> Mirosław Hermaszewski </Td> <Td> Soyuz 30 </Td> <Td> 27 June 1978 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> East Germany </Td> <Td> Sigmund Jähn </Td> <Td> Soyuz 31 </Td> <Td> 26 August 1978 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Bulgaria </Td> <Td> Georgi Ivanov </Td> <Td> Soyuz 33 </Td> <Td> 10 April 1979 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> 1980s </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Hungary </Td> <Td> Bertalan Farkas </Td> <Td> Soyuz 36 </Td> <Td> 26 May 1980 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> Vietnam </Td> <Td> Phạm Tuân </Td> <Td> Soyuz 37 </Td> <Td> 23 July 1980 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Cuba </Td> <Td> Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez </Td> <Td> Soyuz 38 </Td> <Td> 18 September 1980 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Mongolia </Td> <Td> Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa </Td> <Td> Soyuz 39 </Td> <Td> 22 March 1981 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Romania </Td> <Td> Dumitru Prunariu </Td> <Td> Soyuz 40 </Td> <Td> 14 May 1981 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> France </Td> <Td> Jean - Loup Chrétien </Td> <Td> Soyuz T - 6 </Td> <Td> 24 June 1982 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> West Germany </Td> <Td> Ulf Merbold </Td> <Td> STS - 9 </Td> <Td> 28 November 1983 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> India </Td> <Td> Rakesh Sharma </Td> <Td> Soyuz T - 11 </Td> <Td> 3 April 1984 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> Canada </Td> <Td> Marc Garneau </Td> <Td> STS - 41 - G </Td> <Td> 5 October 1984 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> Saudi Arabia </Td> <Td> Sultan al - Saud </Td> <Td> STS - 51 - G </Td> <Td> 17 June 1985 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> Netherlands </Td> <Td> Wubbo Ockels </Td> <Td> STS - 61 - A </Td> <Td> 30 October 1985 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> Mexico </Td> <Td> Rodolfo Neri Vela </Td> <Td> STS - 61 - B </Td> <Td> 26 November 1985 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> Syria </Td> <Td> Muhammed Faris </Td> <Td> Soyuz TM - 3 </Td> <Td> 22 July 1987 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> Afghanistan </Td> <Td> Abdul Ahad Mohmand </Td> <Td> Soyuz TM - 6 </Td> <Td> 29 August 1988 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> 1990s </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Toyohiro Akiyama </Td> <Td> Soyuz TM - 11 </Td> <Td> 2 December 1990 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> United Kingdom </Td> <Td> Helen Sharman </Td> <Td> Soyuz TM - 12 </Td> <Td> 18 May 1991 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> Austria </Td> <Td> Franz Viehböck </Td> <Td> Soyuz TM - 13 </Td> <Td> 2 October 1991 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Russia </Td> <Td> Aleksandr Kaleri Aleksandr Viktorenko </Td> <Td> Soyuz TM - 14 </Td> <Td> 17 March 1992 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> Belgium </Td> <Td> Dirk Frimout </Td> <Td> STS - 45 </Td> <Td> 24 March 1992 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> Italy </Td> <Td> Franco Malerba </Td> <Td> STS - 46 </Td> <Td> 31 July 1992 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 27 </Td> <Td> Switzerland </Td> <Td> Claude Nicollier </Td> <Td> STS - 46 </Td> <Td> 31 July 1992 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 28 </Td> <Td> Ukraine </Td> <Td> Leonid Kadenyuk </Td> <Td> STS - 87 </Td> <Td> 19 November 1997 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 29 </Td> <Td> Spain </Td> <Td> Pedro Duque </Td> <Td> STS - 95 </Td> <Td> 29 October 1998 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 30 </Td> <Td> Slovakia </Td> <Td> Ivan Bella </Td> <Td> Soyuz TM - 29 </Td> <Td> 20 February 1999 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> 2000s </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 31 </Td> <Td> South Africa </Td> <Td> Mark Shuttleworth </Td> <Td> Soyuz TM - 34 </Td> <Td> 25 April 2002 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 32 </Td> <Td> Israel </Td> <Td> Ilan Ramon </Td> <Td> STS - 107 </Td> <Td> 16 January 2003 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 33 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Yang Liwei </Td> <Td> Shenzhou 5 </Td> <Td> 15 October 2003 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 34 </Td> <Td> Brazil </Td> <Td> Marcos Pontes </Td> <Td> Soyuz TMA - 8 </Td> <Td> 30 March 2006 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 35 </Td> <Td> Iran </Td> <Td> Anousheh Ansari </Td> <Td> Soyuz TMA - 9 </Td> <Td> 18 September 2006 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 36 </Td> <Td> Sweden </Td> <Td> Christer Fuglesang </Td> <Td> STS - 116 </Td> <Td> 10 December 2006 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 37 </Td> <Td> Malaysia </Td> <Td> Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor </Td> <Td> Soyuz TMA - 11 </Td> <Td> 10 October 2007 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 38 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Yi So - yeon </Td> <Td> Soyuz TMA - 12 </Td> <Td> 8 April 2008 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> 2010s </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 39 </Td> <Td> Denmark </Td> <Td> Andreas Mogensen </Td> <Td> Soyuz TMA - 18M </Td> <Td> 2 September 2015 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 40 </Td> <Td> Kazakhstan </Td> <Td> Aidyn Aimbetov </Td> <Td> Soyuz TMA - 18M </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> No . </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Flight </Th> <Th> Date (UTC) </Th> </Tr>

List of countries that have gone to space
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