Astronaut

astronaut, designation, derived from the Greek words for “star” and “sailor,” commonly applied to an individual who has flown in outer space. More specifically, in the West, astronaut refers to those from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan who travel into space. Those Soviet and later Russian individuals who travel into space are known as cosmonauts (from the Greek words for “universe” and “sailor”). In Russia the word cosmonaut is used for space travelers of all nations. In the West, Chinese space travelers have come to be referred to as taikonauts (from the Chinese word for “space” and the Greek word for “sailor”), but in China the word yuhangyuan (from the Chinese words for “space” and “traveler”) is used.