Astronaut
Astronaut
Astronaut (pronunciation: /ˈæstrənɔːt/) is a term derived from the Greek words "Astro" meaning star and "nautes" meaning sailor. Thus, an astronaut is essentially a star sailor or someone trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft.
Etymology
The term "astronaut" comes from the Greek words "astron", meaning "star", and "nautes", which means "sailor". Thus, the term literally translates to "star sailor". The term was first used in the 1920s in science fiction literature, and later adopted by NASA when they launched their astronaut program in the 1950s.
Related Terms
- Spacecraft: A vehicle designed for space travel. Astronauts are trained to operate and live aboard spacecraft.
- NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research.
- Cosmonaut: The Russian term for an astronaut. It is used in several countries in the former Soviet Union.
- Taikonaut: The term used for astronauts in the Chinese space program.
- Space Station: A large spacecraft that remains in low Earth orbit for extended periods of time. It is a home where astronauts live and work.
- Space Suit: A garment worn to keep a human alive in the harsh environment of outer space, vacuum and temperature extremes.
- Space Travel: The concept of traveling beyond Earth's atmosphere using various types of spacecraft.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Astronaut
- Wikipedia's article - Astronaut
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