WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ASTRONAUT AND A COSMONAUT?

Russian Space Agency train and certify cosmonauts to work in space. Also, NASA, ESA, CSA, or JAXA train and certify astronauts to work in space.

The two terms may seem the same, but they differ slightly. They have the different operational philosophies of the different space agencies. These different philosophies mean slightly different skill sets and knowledge areas. Finally, the separation between the two terms is one of respect.

The Russians have a long history of human spaceflight. They put the first human into space and hold the records for the longest time in space for an individual. They also hold the record for a person with the most number of spacewalks. A person who receives the title of ‘cosmonaut’ is taking on a duty once Yuri Gagarin did.

Just going into space does not mean someone can get the titles. The spaceflight participants that pay the Russians for a trip to space are not cosmonauts nor astronauts. During the 1980s, NASA gave three titles for people that flew on the Space Shuttle: Pilot Astronauts, Mission Specialist Astronauts, and Payload Specialists. Astronaut and cosmonaut are job titles and achievements.