Astronauts - NASA 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 Eligible for flight assignment
List of astronauts by name - Wikipedia 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
Astronaut - Wikipedia 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 of a spacecraft
Active Astronauts - NASA The following active astronauts are eligible for flight assignment Alan B Shepard, Jr was the first American in space Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon John H Glenn, Jr was the first American to Orbit the Earth Sally K Ride was the first American woman in space
The Complete List of Famous American Astronauts The entries focus on U S astronauts with documented, crewed flight experience or widely recognized historical roles, using official NASA records and major mission histories as the primary sources; that keeps the list factual and focused on people who flew or led significant programs
Astronaut | Definition, Facts, Training | Britannica astronaut, designation, derived from the Greek words for “star” and “sailor,” commonly applied to an individual who has flown in outer space More specifically, in the West, astronaut refers to those from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan who travel into space