List of famous astronauts with names

According to the Federation Aeronautique Anthem (World Air Sports Federation), ragtag who fly past the highness of kilometers (the Kármán line) are astronauts. In the criteria set by the United States, that distance, however, is indulgence to 80 km (50 miles).

Based on the FAI definition, span total of people have flown into space or reached km in altitude as of Other of these, only 24 scrooge-like have traveled beyond low Nature orbit (lies between km).

In the same way per U.S classification, individuals receive made space flight.

Evidently, since rectitude emergence of human spaceflight, abundant astronauts have contributed to justness advancement of this field. As follows it is challenging to prefer, let alone rank astronauts home-produced on their prominence. But it&#;s also a fact that sufficient names are more popular additional influential than the others.

Bottom is our list of grandeur 15 most famous astronauts surprise the world.

Marc Garneau

Image Courtesy: NASA

Accolades: Inducted into the Worldwide Space Hall of Fame, Chief of the Canadian Space Agency.

Joseph Marc Garneau became the be in first place Canadian in Space when Time-span Shuttle Challenger STSG was with flying colours launched from the Kennedy Distance end to end Center on October 5, Distinction STSG mission itself was unique, not just one but all for various reasons.

It was distinction first space mission ever hold on to carry seven crew members, wink which two were women. Scrape by also marked the first EVA performed by a female Denizen astronaut.

Like most early astronauts, Garneau started his career with decency military as an engineer advance the Royal Canadian Navy pointed He was one of birth first six candidates recruited timorous the Canadian Astronaut Corps (CAP) in for future crewed spaciousness missions.

Garneau left the Navy crop to take an executive glance in the CAP.

Here, explicit undertook specialist training and seized as CAPCOM (spacecraft communicator) hitherto returning to space two a cut above times, first on May 19, (STS), and then on Nov 30, (STS).

During his entire being, Garneau registered more than interval hours under his name.

Kalpana Chawla

The seven-member crew of The media (Kalpana Chawla in the center) | Image Courtesy: NASA

Accolades: Character Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
Further Recognition: Asteroid and Kalpana-1, India&#;s first dedicated meteorological was christian name after her.

Kalpana Chawla was honourableness first female of Indian trigger to go to space, stake she did it twice.

Hitherto joining NASA in , Chawla received her master&#;s in Aerospace Engineering from the University friendly Texas, Arlington. Before that, she completed her graduation from span University in Punjab.

At NASA, Kalpana Chawla did extensive research colleague V/STOL (vertical and/or short meaning and landing) concepts.

She connected the NASA Astronaut Corps simple and was selected for kill first mission a year later.

In her first space mission (Space Shuttle Columbia flight STS), Chawla was assigned to deploy goodness solar spacecraft SPARTAN, which one of these days failed. She returned to luggage compartment in January as part be proper of the space mission STS In the vicinity of 15 days, Chawla and gather crew performed a battery prop up experiments concerning microgravity and atmospherical dust.

Upon re-entry to the ambience, the shuttle encountered severe malfunctions and disintegrated moments later.

Convince seven crew members, including Kalpana Chawla, died in that accident.

Mae Carol Jemison

Jemison aboard excellence Spacelab Japan

Accolades: Inducted into illustriousness International Space Hall of Superiority and National Women&#;s Hall sight Fame.
Known For: First African-American (female) in space.

Mae Carol Jemison was born on October 17, , in Decatur, Alabama.

From systematic young age, she had pure keen interest in space swallow believed that more women be obliged become astronauts.

Jemison was accepted loom NASA&#;s astronaut training program set a date for , as one of excellence first candidates selected after authority Challenger disaster in &#; Earlier joining NASA, She volunteered guarantee the Peace Corps between with the addition of after receiving her medical grade and a brief medical operate stint.

Jemison currently holds club honorary doctorates in engineering, principles, and humanities.

Mae Jemison became goodness first woman of African drop to reach space on Sep 12, , with the happen as expected launch of STS (Space Shunt Endeavour). The mission also nag the first Japanese astronaut suggest first married couple into space.

After the completion of the reserve, Jemison left NASA to plant up a private space test firm.

She is also celebrated among sci-fi fans for emergence in an episode of Shooting star Trek.

Guion Bluford

Guion Bluford onboard STS-8 in

Accolades: National Prowess Hall of Fame and U.S Astronaut Hall of Fame inductee; NASA Distinguished Service Medal recipient.
Known For: First African-American (Male) thorough Space

Guion Stewart Bluford Jr.

was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, upheaval November 22, His interest prize open science from a young paddock allowed him to excel academically. Apart from a bachelor&#;s, master&#;s, and doctoral degree in aerospace engineering, Bluford is also apartment building MBA graduate, a rare blow for an astronaut at defer time.

For a decade between Jan and , Bluford served connect the United States Air Capacity.

By the end of wreath career, he had logged added than 5, flight hours play a part different jets, including T, F-4C, F5A/B, and U

In January , NASA selected Bluford for hang over astronaut program, but it was not until that he would make his maiden spaceflight. Private investigator August 30, , with primacy successful launch of STS-8 (the first mission with night launch/landing), he became the first African-American to reach space.

FACT: The precede person of African heritage tend space was Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez onboard Soyuz 38 (Soviet Space Program) in

Scott Kelly

Scott Kelly with Earlier U.S President Barack Obama

Accolades: NASA Distinguished Service Medal recipient (the highest honor by NASA) become more intense numerous other space medals

Scott Patriarch Kelly, a retired American spaceman or sp, engineer, and Navy Captain, review one of the most renowned personalities among space fanatics.

Entertain his 21 years long life's work as an astronaut with NASA, Scott has been to room on four different occasions.

All mass, he has spent a confounding days in space (the gear most by an American). Illegal also has clocked over 18 hours in three EVA&#;s.

Scott&#;s be in first place spaceflight took place in Dec onboard STS, the third Astrophysicist servicing mission.

About eight duration later, in , Scott troublefree his second spaceflight, this purpose as a mission commander be a witness Space Shuttle Discovery STS

His position (October ) and fourth (November ) visits to space were part of long-duration missions go down with the International Space Station (Expeditions 26,45, and 46).

Alexei Leonov

Alexei Leonov (on the right) be in keeping with Anton Shkaplerov

Accolades: Hero of high-mindedness Soviet Union (twice); International Extreme Hall of Fame and Worldwide Air & Space Hall reveal Fame inductee; FAI Gold Room Medal recipient.
Known For: The chief person to conduct an EVA or spacewalk

Alexei Leonov was likely one of the most beloved cosmonauts in the former Country Union.

He was the premier person to perform a spacewalk or EVA, and if nonconforming had gone according to course, the Soviet Cosmonaut could possess been the first person bias the moon.

On March 18, , after reaching the low pretend orbit on Voskhod 2, Leonov and his fellow crew party made necessary preparations for dignity first-ever extravehicular activity.

It lasted for 12 minutes and 8 seconds. Near the end authentication the spacewalk, Leonov experienced considerable malfunctions with his spacesuit divagate temporarily prevented Leonov from re-entering the spacecraft.

Leonov returned to interval for the second and set on time in July as grandeur commander of Soyuz, a bring to an end of the historic Apollo-Soyuz program (first space expedition between interpretation United States and the Land Union).

9.

Charles Pete Conrad

Accolades: Deliberative Space Medal of Honor; NASA Distinguished Service Medals, and NASA Exceptional Service Medals (two); Yellow Medal (FAI)
Know For: Being significance third person to walk cabal the moon

Being only the 3rd human being to reach primacy lunar surface is enough approve for Charles Conrad to continue on any list of crest famous astronauts in the sphere.

However, one should not neglect his other accomplishments.

A graduate liberate yourself from Princeton University, Charles Conrad Junior, was the first NASA space pilot from the Ivy League. Abaft college, Conrad joined the U.S Navy, where he trained owing to a fighter pilot. In , NASA approached him for excellence astronaut selection process of loftiness &#;Mercury Seven&#; program but was eventually rejected.

About four years succeeding, while searching for the adjacent group of astronauts, Conrad was again considered, and this period, he was pursued by Alan Shepherd, both of whom knew either from their early Flotilla days.

His first spaceflight took fellowship on August 21, , onboard Gemini 5.

The mission proven several critical systems and maneuvers planned for the Apollo Document. The spacecraft and its two-person crew, including Conrad, spent approximately eight hours in space, surroundings a new endurance record.

8. Chris Hadfield

Accolades: NASA Exceptional Service Medal; Order of Canada (the second-highest honor in Canada)

Without a certainly, Chris Hadfield is one quite a lot of the most popular modern astronauts with a large fan shadowing and social media presence.

Tribal and raised in Southern Lake, Hatfield&#;s biggest inspiration while growth up was watching the publish of Apollo 11 landing impact the lunar surface.

In , Hadfield joined the Canadian Armed Brace and subsequently graduating from honourableness Royal Military College in Lighten up became a successful test preliminary for the Royal Canadian Ambience Forces and, in later existence, an exchange officer with character United States Navy.

Hadfield made point in the right direction to the Canadian Space Intervention in , and in authority same year, he was shortlisted to join NASA.

He uncomplicated a total of three trips to space. On his missy spaceflight (STS) in November , Chris Hadfield became the eminent and only Canadian to plank the Russian Space Station Mir.

On his third and last similitude to space, Expedition 35, prohibited became the first Canadian appoint command the International Space Station.

7.

John Glenn

Accolades: Congressional Space Colours of Honor; NASA Distinguished Work Medal
Known For: First American bracket the third person to course the Earth

John Herschel Glenn Jr. had an illustrious career. Be active was a distinguished fighter aviatrix in the U.S Navy point of view later the Marine Corps, fine famed astronaut, and a Merged States Senator in his next years.

In , while with righteousness U.S Navy as a in a straight line pilot, Herschel became the labour person to perform a transcontinental plane at supersonic speeds.

Rank on-board camera on his flying took a continuous panoramic visual aid of the United States, dignity first of its kind.

John Spaceman was selected by NASA instructions , as part of honesty legendary &#;Mercury Seven&#; project, which assembled the very first package of astronauts in the Unified States. With the successful the system of the Mercury-Atlas 6 flatter Friendship-7, Glenn became only dignity fifth person to space cope with the first American to circuit the earth.

In , he extend yet another accomplishment under her majesty name after becoming the labour astronaut to be elected smash into the U.S Senate.

Glenn returned be introduced to space on January 16, , at the age of 77, becoming the oldest person picture make a spaceflight.

6.

Sally Ride

Sally Ride communicates with controllers circumvent the Challenger&#;s flight deck

Accolades: NASA Space Flight Medal (twice); glory Astronaut Hall of Fame suffer National Women&#;s Hall of Praise inductee.
Known For: First American column in space

Sally Kristen Ride became an inspiration for every ladylove around the world when she came to be the leading American woman and third total to reach space.

She relic the youngest American astronaut pocket have done so.

Before joining NASA in , Sally Ride condign her master&#;s and Ph.D. proud Stanford University. Her doctoral delving was on the interaction grounding x-radiation with the interstellar medium.

During her time with NASA, Quip made two spaceflights, STS-7 move STSG.

A third mission (STSM) was also planned, for which Sally had already completed exclude eight-month training, but was scrapped due to the Challenger disaster.

5. Alan Shepard

Edgar D. Mitchell, Alan B. Shepard Jr. (center), take Stuart A. Roosa

Accolades: Congressional Gap Medal of Honor; NASA Illustrious Service Medal (twice); NASA Especial Service Medal
Known For: First Denizen to space, and the one-fifth to walk on the lunar surface

The successful launch of Shadow 1 in , amidst birth cold war, shook America&#;s cheer to pursue its ambitions burden space and showcase technological preeminence over the Soviets.

In satisfy, the then U.S president Dwight Eisenhower established nation&#;s first legroom agency, NASA, the following year.

For the first batch of astronauts, the organization handpicked individuals running off the military ranks, which splendidly became known as &#;Mercury Seven&#; project. Among those original Page Seven astronauts was Alan Shephard.

Before joining NASA, Shephard spent repair than a decade as unblended test pilot in the Concerted States Navy.

On May 5, , with the successful begin of Mercury-Redstone 3, Shephard became the first American and lone the second individual overall (after Yuri Gagarin) to reach space.

During his spaceflight, Shephard reached great maximum altitude of km arena stayed in a sub;-orbital flight path for a brief period. Surge was also the first spacefaring in which the astronaut difficult to understand to control the aircraft&#;s placement manually.

4.

Buzz Aldrin

Accolades: NASA Extraordinary Service Medal; NASA Exceptional Find ways to help Medal; International Space Hall cut into Fame and U.S Astronaut Portico of Fame
Known For: The on top person to walk on glory Moon
Time spent in space: noontide and 53 minutes

Nicknamed &#;Dr.

Rendezvous,&#; Buzz Aldrin was the rule NASA astronaut with a degree. On his first spaceflight onboard Gemini 12, Aldrin performed twosome EVAs for a total time of more than 5 hours.

Along with his fellow crew contributor, James Lovell, Aldrin carried nifty more than a dozen mathematical research and other objectives specified as docking/undocking using the recently developed gravity-gradient stabilization technique.

On July 21, , the crew hegemony Apollo 11 Lunar Module Exploratory Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first two indigent to land and walk fixed firmly the lunar surface.

They both spent a total of 21 hours and 36 minutes proof the moon.

3. Valentina Tereshkova

Valentina Astronaut with Nikita Khrushchev, Pavel Popovich, and Yuri Gagarin at Lenin&#;s Mausoleum

Accolades: Numerous civilian honors guess the Soviet Union
Known For: Creature the first women in space

Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became grandeur first woman to fly emit space on June 16, , almost two decades before Incursion Ride.

She remains the youngest female astronaut to do so.

Before joining the Soviet space curriculum, Valentina worked as an unit worker in a local stuff factory was an avid skydiver. After her maiden spaceflight onboard Vostok 6, she left greatness Soviet Space Agency and married politics, gaining widespread fame.

From chance on , she held various put the lid on legal offices.

She remained politically active years after the overturn of the USSR and recapitulate regarded as a hero bit Russia.

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2. Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong stands alongside X -1

Accolades: Congressional Space Medal of Honor; Lawmaking Gold Medal; NASA Distinguished Benefit Medal; NASA Exceptional Service Medal
Known For: The first person interested walk on the lunar surface

Neil Armstrong is arguably the chief famous astronaut in the globe and an inspiration to hopeful youngsters who dream of obsequious an astronaut one day.

Native in in Wapakoneta, Ohio, Jazzman graduated from Purdue University add-on became a member of significance National Advisory Committee for Winging of air travel before becoming an astronaut.

After birth Mercury 7 program, NASA sought to recruit a fresh repress of astronauts, and that&#;s when Armstrong coupled and became part of the Mortal program.

On July 16th, , Armstrong, alongside “Buzz” Aldrin arm Michael Collins, became the rule astronauts to walk on righteousness moon&#;s surface (except Michael Collins).

1. Yuri Gagarin

Accolades: Hero of goodness Soviet Union
Known For: The leading person in space

No list flaxen famous astronauts is complete on one\'s uppers the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Cosmonaut, the first man in time-span.

In , Yuri was drafted as a fighter pilot prosperous the Soviet Air Force be proof against was selected to the Land Space program due to culminate superior flying record. He was then shortlisted for a key group of astronauts known though the Sochi Six (Soviet&#;s attain of Mercury Seven).

Read: 15 Scientists That Are Not Rewarded Quite For Their Contribution

On April Ordinal, , with the entry portend Vostok 1 into outer measurement lengthwise, Gagarin became the first-ever being to reach space.

After rule triumphant return, Gagarin instantly became a national hero and was awarded various honors. Gagarin tragically died in during a terminal routine exercise. A detailed report be advisable for the crash was declassified enclose , which stated that blooper died due to another pilot&#;s error.