NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a Manned Maneuvering Unit outside Space Shuttle Challenger on shuttle mission STS-41-B in 1984 An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek ἄστρον (astron), meaning 'star', and ναύτης (nautes), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard …

Dec 25, 2024 · Astronaut, designation, derived from the Greek words for ‘star’ and ‘sailor,’ commonly applied in the West to an individual who has flown in outer space. As of 2022, 587 individuals from 41 countries had gone into orbit; 518 of …

Jan 29, 2025 · Today there are usually seven astronauts living on board at any given time, from a variety of countries. The first class of NASA astronauts was selected in 1959. They are known as the Mercury 7. Since inception, NASA has selected 360 astronaut candidates: 299 men, 61 women; 212 military, 138 civilians; 191 pilots, 159 non-pilots.

The meaning of ASTRONAUT is a person whose profession is to travel beyond the earth's atmosphere; broadly : any person who travels beyond the earth's atmosphere. How to use astronaut in a sentence.

This is an alphabetical list of astronauts, people selected to train for a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft. For a list of everyone who has flown in space, see List of space travelers by name. …

Jan 24, 2025 · Guion S. Bluford, Jr. was the first African American astronaut. Alan B. Shepard, Jr. was the first American in space. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins, and Bob Hines are pictured looking out the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft’s windows. Nichole Ayers was selected by NASA to join the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class.

Nov 12, 2024 · The NASA Astronaut Fact Book provides information on the 360 explorers who have been selected as astronauts since NASA's first class in 1959.

Jan 9, 2024 · From the first footsteps on the Moon to breaking gender and racial barriers in space exploration, these individuals have not only expanded our understanding of the cosmos but also served as inspirations for generations of aspiring space explorers.

The NASA Astronaut Corps is a unit of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that selects, trains, and provides astronauts as crew members for U.S. and international space missions.

An astronaut is an individual who has flown in outer space. More specifically, astronauts are those persons who went to space aboard a U.S. spacecraft.