NASA astronaut corps

The group of astronauts selected and trained by NASA for spaceflight and related duties. Its members support missions as crew, spacecraft operators, scientists, and technical specialists.

NASA astronaut selection: NASA's process for choosing astronaut candidates from a large pool of qualified applicants. Selection determines who enters the corps and which backgrounds its members bring.
Mercury Seven: The seven astronauts selected by NASA in 1959 for Project Mercury. They formed NASA's first astronaut group and established the corps's public identity.
International Space Station: A crewed orbital laboratory operated through partnership among multiple space agencies. NASA astronauts live and work aboard the station on long-duration missions.
John Glenn: A NASA astronaut who became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962. His Mercury flight helped define the corps's early role in national spaceflight.
Russian cosmonaut corps: The group of cosmonauts selected and trained by Russia's space program. It is a national counterpart with different selection systems and institutional history.
Astronaut candidate: A person selected by a space agency for astronaut training before qualification as an astronaut. New NASA selectees join the corps as candidates, not yet flight-qualified astronauts.
NASA Astronaut Group 2: The nine astronauts NASA selected in 1962 for Gemini and Apollo missions. This second group expanded the corps as NASA prepared for more complex crewed flights.
Artemis program: NASA's program for human exploration of the Moon and preparation for future Mars missions. The corps supplies crew and operational expertise for NASA's renewed lunar exploration.
Sally Ride: A NASA astronaut who became the first American woman in space in 1983. Her flight made the expanding representation of the corps visible to the public.
European Astronaut Corps: The European Space Agency's group of selected and trained astronauts. Its multinational structure contrasts with NASA's United States agency corps.

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