astronaut

US and international astronauts pose for a photograph during training aboard the KC-135 zero gravity aircraft.

Person trained to make flights into space; the general term is often used to include cosmonauts (the Russian equivalent).

As of April 2006, NASA had selected only 321 astronauts. Potential astronauts apply to the Astronaut Candidate Program and receive appointments from the Astronaut Selection Office. European Space Agency astronauts train at the European Astronauts Centre in Cologne, Germany. More than 440 people had travelled to altitudes over 100 km/62 mi, qualifying for the international designation of ‘astronaut’.

NASA selections are usually made every two years for space shuttle pilots and mission specialists. The finalists undergo a week of personal interviews and medical evaluations. Selected astronauts are assigned to the Astronaut Office at the Johnson Space Center for a one- to two-year training and evaluation programme, involving classes, training in shuttle mission simulators, and then with flight controllers in the mission control centre.