Which three countries have successfully launched humans into space?

The correct answer highlights the three countries that have a proven history of successfully sending humans into space. The United States, Russia, and China have all developed their own space programs and launched astronauts into orbit.

The United States began its human spaceflight program with the Mercury missions in the early 1960s, followed by Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. Notably, the Apollo missions culminated in the historic moon landing in 1969.

Russia (formerly part of the Soviet Union) was the first to launch a human into space with Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1 in 1961. This marked a significant milestone in the space race and established Russia as a leader in human space exploration.

China has also made significant advancements in its space program, successfully launching its first manned mission, Shenzhou 5, in 2003 with astronaut Yang Liwei, becoming the third country to independently send humans into space.

The other choices include countries that either have not launched humans into space (such as Japan and Canada) or have participated in manned space missions with international partnerships but do not have a history of launching their own astronauts independently.