House exploration has fascinated the world for a few years. From the primary steps taken on the moon to fashionable area tourism, we will’t cease interested by what exists past our planet. However just a few have really taken the courageous journey to enterprise outdoors our ambiance. We’ve put collectively this record of well-known astronauts you’ll be able to incorporate into your classes all year long and share with college students on Nationwide Astronaut Day on Might 5.
Yuri Gagarin
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In 1961, Yuri Gagarin turned the primary individual to go to area. The Soviet cosmonaut had been a formidable army fighter pilot, making him an excellent selection for this monumental second. At 203 miles above our planet, he mentioned the primary phrases spoken by a human in area: “I see the earth. It’s so lovely!”
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Alan Shepard
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Born in 1923, Alan Shepard was one in every of NASA’s authentic seven astronauts. In 1961, he turned the second individual (after Yuri Gagarin) and the primary American in area. Shepard is one in every of solely 12 people to stroll on the moon (and at 47 years outdated, he was the oldest!). He’s additionally well-known for being the primary individual to hit a golf ball on the moon.
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Ham
In 1961, a male chimpanzee named Ham (an acronym for Holloman Aerospace Medical Heart) turned the primary hominid despatched into area. In an effort to show that people can be able to performing primary duties whereas in orbit, Ham was educated to push a lever when he noticed a blue mild. Whereas he suffered a bruised nostril, the 16-minute flight was thought of a hit and Ham lived the remainder of his life in zoos in North Carolina and Washington, D.C.
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Neil Armstrong
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Arguably essentially the most well-known astronaut of all time, Neil Armstrong turned the primary man to stroll on the moon in 1969. Throughout this unbelievable Apollo 11 mission, he mentioned these iconic phrases: “That’s one small step for man, one large leap for mankind.”
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Buzz Aldrin
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Though Neil Armstrong was extra well-known, Buzz Aldrin additionally walked on the moon in the course of the Apollo 11 mission. In comparison with his colleague, Aldrin went on extra NASA missions and spent practically 300 hours in area!
Study: Buzz Aldrin
Apollo 13 Crew
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In 1970, the Apollo 13 traveled into area for a lunar touchdown however was compelled to desert the mission after an oxygen tank exploded. These well-known astronauts determined to attempt swinging across the far facet of the moon and, within the course of, set a document for the farthest people have ever traveled from Earth.
Through the ordeal, they’d restricted provides, together with water, energy, and warmth, however they made it house. The unique crew of the Apollo 13 included Jim Lovell, Ken Mattingly, and Fred Haise, however after Mattingly was uncovered to measles, Jack Swigert changed him on the final minute.
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John Glenn
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Aboard Friendship 7 in 1961, John Glenn circled our planet 3 times in 5 hours, making him the primary American to orbit the Earth. Simply 5 years earlier, he’d turn out to be the primary individual to journey throughout America at supersonic speeds, capturing the world’s first panoramic picture of america.
This pioneering spirit continued all through his life. Glenn was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974 (making him the primary astronaut to turn out to be a senator), after which in 1998, on the age of 77, he turned the oldest individual to take a spaceflight.
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Valentina Tereshkova
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Chosen by the Russian House Federation in 1963, Valentina Tereshkova turned the primary lady to go to area, and she or he’s one in every of Russia’s most well-known astronauts. She orbited the Earth a whopping 48 occasions, conserving a flight log and taking pictures that aided future missions.
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Sally Journey
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20 years after Valentina Tereshkova’s mission, Sally Journey turned the primary American lady (third general) and the primary LGBTQIA+ individual in area. At 32, she was additionally the youngest American astronaut in area. Her first two missions, starting in 1983, passed off aboard the Challenger.
Whereas she was coaching for her third mission on Challenger, the shuttle broke aside throughout launch, killing all seven individuals on board. After the catastrophe, all area journeys had been placed on maintain, and Journey retired from NASA. Nonetheless, she stays one of the well-known astronauts in historical past.
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Guion Bluford
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After serving as a U.S. Air Pressure fighter pilot in Vietnam within the Sixties, Guion Bluford joined NASA and have become an astronaut in 1979. He made historical past as the primary African American in area. His first mission was aboard the Challenger in 1983. Bluford went on to finish three extra shuttle missions earlier than retiring.
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Christa McAuliffe
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In 1986, NASA selected college instructor Christa McAuliffe to be the primary civilian in area. The mission generated lots of pleasure however, sadly, it led to tragedy. Simply over a minute after launch, the Challenger area shuttle broke aside, killing all crew members together with McAuliffe. Through the years, colleges, scholarships, and prizes have been named in her honor.
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Ellison Onizuka
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Born in Hawaii to Japanese dad and mom, Ellison Onizuka was a profitable U.S. Air Pressure check pilot earlier than becoming a member of NASA in 1978. Simply seven years later, he turned the primary Asian American in area. Sadly, he was killed throughout his second mission at age 36 as a crew member of the Challenger area shuttle.
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Mae Jemison
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Earlier than becoming a member of NASA and changing into one of the well-known astronauts, Mae Jemison was a health care provider within the Peace Corps. She went on to turn out to be the primary Black lady in area in 1992. Aboard the Endeavor, she orbited Earth 127 occasions in simply eight days! After retiring from the area program, Jemison turned concerned in analysis, wrote kids’s books, and even appeared on an episode of Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology.
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Kalpana Chawla
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Born in India, Kalpana Chawla moved to america in 1982 to attend graduate college. After changing into a citizen in 1991, she utilized for NASA’s astronaut corps and have become the primary individual of Indian descent to go to area aboard the Columbia shuttle in 1997. Tragically, on her second mission, she and her six crewmates misplaced their lives when the Columbia broke aside upon reentry in 2003.
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Michael López-Alegría
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Born in Madrid and raised in California, Michael López-Alegría was a Navy pilot earlier than changing into an astronaut. In 1995, he accomplished his first NASA mission and subsequently carried out 10 spacewalks and has spent nearly 68 hours outdoors the spacecraft. He presently holds the American document for essentially the most extravehicular actions (EVAs).
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Franklin Chang-Diaz and Jerry Ross
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Well-known astronauts Franklin Chang-Diaz and Jerry Ross have each been to area seven occasions and share the NASA document. Chang-Diaz, who’s of Costa Rican and Chinese language descent, accomplished his first mission in 1986 aboard Columbia and retired in 2005. Ross flew on Atlantis in 1985 for his first mission and retired in 2012.
Study extra: Franklin Chang-Diaz and Jerry Ross
Peggy Whitson
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It’s arduous to summarize all of Peggy Whitson’s accomplishments. She joined NASA as a biochemical engineer in 1989 and have become an astronaut seven years later. Whitson’s first spaceflight was a trek to the Worldwide House Station (ISS) in 2002.
Since then, she’s served as each commander and Chief Astronaut of the ISS and holds two unbelievable information: She’s carried out extra extravehicular actions (EVAs) than any lady, with greater than 60 hours outdoors the spacecraft, and she or he’s spent essentially the most cumulative days in area (665 days unfold over three long-duration flights!).
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John Herrington
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After a profitable profession within the Navy, John Herrington joined NASA in 1996. Six years later, he was chosen for a 2002 mission aboard the Endeavor. As a member of the Chickasaw Nation, he turned the primary enrolled member of a Native American tribe in area. His three spacewalks are commemorated on the again of the 2019 Sacagawea greenback coin.
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Chris Hadfield
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One in all Canada’s most well-known astronauts, Chris Hadfield is understood for his profitable area missions and unbelievable fan base on social media. In his extremely profitable profession, he’s been named High Check Pilot by each the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Pressure, flown three area missions, carried out two spacewalks (extravehicular actions/EVAs), constructed two area stations, and commanded the Worldwide House Station.
After Neil Armstrong, he stands out as the most well-known astronaut, however it’s not nearly his arduous work as an engineer. The musical performances he filmed aboard the Worldwide House Station have accrued hundreds of thousands of views, together with his rendition of David Bowie’s “House Oddity.”
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Mark and Scott Kelly
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An identical twins Mark and Scott Kelly are positively among the many most well-known astronauts in historical past. They are going to be remembered for his or her quite a few contributions to area exploration and analysis as people over their lengthy careers, however their NASA Twin Examine will seemingly be the largest story of their spectacular legacy.
In 2015, Scott Kelly launched into a 342-day mission on the Worldwide House Station with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko. Within the course of, he set the American document for many consecutive days in area. Whereas his twin was far-off from our planet, Mark Kelly stayed on Earth. The aim was to check the long-term efforts of area journey on the human physique. Scientists had been in a position to evaluate the twins’ genes after Scott spent practically a 12 months in area.
Study extra: Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly
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