To date, only three countries, the United States, Russia, and China, have the capability to launch humans into orbit. However, 520 astronauts from more than thirty different countries have flown in space and many of them have participated in space neuroscience research. The launch of the first living animal in orbit on Sputnik on November 3, 1957 marked the beginning of a rich history of unique scientific and technological achievements in space life sciences that have spanned more than fifty years to date.
