Famous Astronauts

An astronaut, or a cosmonaut, is a person trained to travel in a spacecraft, beyond the limits of the Earth. Though it's a risky job with a possible danger of loss of life, some people achieved their dream of going to the Moon. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin... the list continues...

Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong, the famous American astronaut, began his career as a pilot in the United States Navy. On July 21, 1969, he became the first person to set his foot on Moon. Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Ohio, United States. He earned a BS in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1955 and went on to get a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from University of Southern California in 1962. After joining the U.S. Navy, Armstrong participated in the Korean War in 1951. He was selected by NASA for Astronaut Group 2 in September 1962. In 1966, he was appointed the command pilot in Gemini 8 mission, The biggest moment of his life came when he was appointed the commander of Apollo 11 mission launched on July 16, 1969. He has received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. The crater at the Apollo 11 landing site on the Moon has been named as the Lunar Crater Armstrong in his honor. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993

Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is a former NASA astronaut. He became the second person to set his foot on the Moon after Neil Armstrong. Born on January 20, 1930, in New Jersey, United States, Aldrin graduated from the United States Military Academy in West Point. After graduation he joined the U.S. Air Force as a second lieutenant. He was selected in the 1963 NASA Group on October 17, 1963. In 1966, he got selected as the pilot of Gemini 12, the last mission of Gemini Program. Later in 1969, he was selected to be the lunar module pilot on Apollo 11, for the first lunar landing. He spent 12 days, 1 hour and 52 minutes in space. Aldrin was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993. He has a autobiography Return to Earth, to his credit.

Kathryn Sullivan
Kathryn Sullivan is a former NASA astronaut and an American geologist. She was the first American woman to perform an extra-vehicular activity in space. Born on October 3, 1951, in New Jersey, United States, she completed her BS in Earth Science from University of California in 1973, and Ph.D. in geology from Dalhousie University in 1978. She joined the United States Naval Reserve as an oceanography officer in the rank of captain. She also served as the chief scientist for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. On January 16, 1978, she was selected in the 1978 NASA Group for the space shuttle mission. She was a part of NASA's three space shuttle missions: as a mission specialist on STS-41-G and STS-31 and as payload commander on STS-45. Overall, she logged a combined total of 532 hours in space. She was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2004.

John Young
John Young is a former NASA astronaut who achieved the rare distinction of walking on the Moon on April 21, 1972. He was born on September 24, 1930, in San Francisco, California. He earned a BS in Aeronautical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1952. After completing his graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy as a fire control officer on the destroyer, USS Laws. He went on to become a test pilot in 1959. On September 17, 1962, he was selected in the 1962 NASA Group. As a NASA astronaut, Young went in space six times. He was appointed the pilot for Gemini 3 mission, a command pilot for Gemini 10, a command module pilot for Apollo 10 and as the commander for Apollo 16, STS-1 and STS-9. John Young retired from NASA in 2004. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993. He received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1981, and the National Space Trophy in 2000.

These were a few of the famous astronauts who made the mankind proud with their fabulous achievements, which they attained with hard work and sheer dedication.