List of spaceflight-related accidents and incidents

This article lists verifiable spaceflight-related accidents and incidents resulting in human death or serious injury. These include incidents during flight or training for crewed space missions and testing, assembly, preparation, or flight of crewed and robotic spacecraft. Not included are accidents or incidents associated with intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, death or injury to test animals, uncrewed space flights, rocket-powered aircraft projects of World War II, or conspiracy theories about alleged unreported Soviet space accidents.

As of January 2026, 19 people have died during spaceflights that crossed, or were intended to cross, the boundary of space as defined by the United States (50 miles above sea level). Astronauts have also died while training for space missions, such as the Apollo 1 launch pad fire that killed an entire crew of three. There have also been some non-astronaut deaths during spaceflight-related activities.

As of January 2026, more than 188 people have died in spaceflight-related incidents. Astronaut Peter Siebold is the only person in human history to survive an in-flight spacecraft breakup, 31 October 2014, having survived a 15 kilometer (50,000 ft) fall without supplemental oxygen in only a thin flight suit, unbuckling from his ejection seat and deploying his parachute at 17,000 feet. From the breakup, Siebold suffered serious injuries to his eyes, face, right arm and the right side of his chest, which required multiple surgeries in the weeks following the crash. Despite his injuries, Siebold made a full recovery.