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Cosmonauts and Astronauts

Discussion in 'Free-For-All Archives' started by Gina B, Apr 22, 2003.

  1. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    Why are there different words for them? I looked it up to see what the difference is and the dictionary says a cosmonaut is an astronaut from the Russian Space Program.
    Is that accurate? If it is I don't like it. Think they'd just all call themselves astronauts if I wrote and told them it annoyed me?
    Gina
     
  2. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    Just address the note to our "comrades" down at NASA. [​IMG]
     
  3. I Am Blessed 24

    I Am Blessed 24 Active Member

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    Originally posted by Gina:

    Because we're from different countries?

    Yes, that is accurate. I don't see much difference in the root word 'cosmo' and 'astro' though. I think the Russians just wanted to be distinguished from the Americans.

    I seriously doubt it, but <you go girl>. [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Sue
     
  4. ChurchBoy

    ChurchBoy New Member

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    Just remember that the Russians sent a man into space FIRST. So, maybe, it's the Americans that wanted to be different. The Chinese are sending up a man into space soon and they call their space travelers "Sinonauts"! I am not joking! [​IMG]
     
  5. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    If I remember correctly, NASA no longer refers to the folks as "astronauts". They're shuttle crew. Members of the shuttle crew are known by their functions such as shuttle pilots or mission specialists. Each space mission is called a "flight".

    But saying "astonaut" is kind of like "dialing" a number on the phone. It's become an indellible part of language.

    The russian word "cosmonaut" literally means "space traveller", which "astronaut" means "star traveller".
     
  6. Charlotte Marcel

    Charlotte Marcel New Member

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    I was going to make that point but Church boy beat me to it. The Russians beat us in the space race. And I agree with John too. Neither word is used when speaking of todays men and woman. It is still used in I dream of Jeanie re-runs though.

    God Bless You,
    Charlotte ;)
     
  7. jonmagee

    jonmagee New Member

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    Church boy is correct, Yuri Gagarin, a Russian Cosmonaut was the first man in space in the 60's followed some point later by the American astronaut John Glen. (did he not later go into politics?)

    yours, Jon.
     
  8. jonmagee

    jonmagee New Member

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    of course Senator John Glen went back into space again. Is that why they stopped using the term astronaut cos he was now a politician in space and had to be diplomatic on the international scene. (only joking)

    yours, Jon.
     
  9. Wisdom Seeker

    Wisdom Seeker New Member

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    I Dream of Jeanie re-runs. [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  10. wizofoz

    wizofoz New Member

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    Would he be called a "polinaut"?
     
  11. jonmagee

    jonmagee New Member

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    now that would be different

    yours, Jon.
     
  12. Bob Farnaby

    Bob Farnaby Active Member
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    Just a thought or two ..and going purely from memory ...

    Gagarin was the first to ORBIT the earth in space, but didn't Alan Shepperd do a sub-orbital space flight before that? And didn't some of the high altitude jet plane tests by Chuck Yeager (sp?) actually technically become space flights even earlier?

    Regards
    Bob
     
  13. wizofoz

    wizofoz New Member

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    Gagarin was the first man to orbit the earth on April 12, 1961. 23 days later Alan Shepard became the first American in space. He didn't orbit the earth, but John Glenn did in 1962.
     
  14. jonmagee

    jonmagee New Member

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    Thats interesting. I always thought that Alan Shepherd did not appear till later. But then I have a better forgettery than a memory.

    yours, Jon.
     
  15. ChurchBoy

    ChurchBoy New Member

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    The pilots who flew the X-15 rocket plane received astronaut wings. The X-15 is one of only two hypersonic vehicles(5x the speed of sound) build to this date (the Shuttle being the other). The X-15 pilots were the first American astronauts, though they didn't orbit the earth.

    web page
     
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