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27-03-09 Population in Space at Historic High:13

The Thursday launch of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying the world's first repeat space tourist and a new crew for the International Space Station has boosted the population of space to its historical max: 13 people.The population boom ties the record for the maximum number of people in space at the same time.It is relatively rare but could become more commonplace once the space station shifts to a larger,six-person crew in late May."This is the highest that we've seen," NASA spokesperson Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters told SPACE.com Friday from the Johnson Space Center in Houston.Here's the baker's dozen breakdown of the three spaceships in orbit today:Soyuz TMA-14:Three people aboard,including space tourist Charles Simonyi and the new Expedition 19 crew for the station which numbers two,a Russian and an American.Launched Thursday and will arrive at the station Saturday morning.Space Shuttle Discovery:Seven people aboard,returning from the space station after delivering the last pair of U.S. solar wings to the orbiting laboratory,boosting it to full power during their STS-119 mission.The shuttle is due to land Saturday in Florida to end a 13-day spaceflight.International Space Station:Currently home to three astronauts,one each from the United States,Russia and Japan.Two will return home April 7 with Simonyi to end their Expedition 18 mission(Space.com)