
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 …
Astronaut | Definition, Facts, & Training | Britannica
Dec 17, 2025 · 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 …
Astronauts - NASA
Dec 8, 2025 · The term “astronaut” derives from the Greek words meaning “star sailor,” and refers to all who have been launched as crew members aboard NASA spacecraft bound for orbit and …
ASTRONAUT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
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.
Alan Shepard: First American in Space - National Air and ...
Alan Shepard became the first American and the second man in space on May 5, 1961, when he piloted the Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7 on a 490-kilometer (300-mile), 15-minute suborbital …
Astronaut - New World Encyclopedia
NASA applies the term astronaut to any crew member aboard NASA spacecraft bound for Earth orbit or beyond. NASA also uses the term as a title for those selected to join its Astronaut Corps.
Astronauts | Encyclopedia.com
May 23, 2018 · An astronaut is a person trained to perform a specific task on a craft designed and intended to travel beyond Earth 's atmosphere. The term "astronaut" derives from the Greek …