What is the origin of the word astronaut?
The word astronaut comes from two Ancient Greek roots meaning star and sailor. This definition describes a person trained to serve as a crew member of a spacecraft.
Questions about Astronaut
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who was the first human in space and when did it happen?
Soviet Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space on the 12th of April 1961 aboard Vostok 1. He orbited Earth for 108 minutes before returning safely.
How does NASA select modern astronauts today?
Modern candidates must be United States citizens holding a master degree in STEM fields like engineering or computer science. They need either two years of professional experience after graduation or at least 1,000 hours pilot-in-command time on jet aircraft.
What health risks do astronauts face during long missions?
Astronauts face multiple health risks including decompression sickness barotrauma immunodeficiencies and radiation injury. Vision problems known as visual impairment intracranial pressure affect nearly two-thirds of space explorers after long ISS missions.
When did private space tourism begin and who was the first tourist?
Dennis Tito became the first paying space tourist aboard Russian spacecraft Soyuz TM-3 starting the 28th of April 2001. Government agencies sponsored all astronauts until 2004 when privately funded SpaceShipOne achieved suborbital flight.