Question by Toki Tahmid: What is the difference between an astronaut & a cosmonaut?
I here these often, but I don’t understand the difference…
Answers and Views:
Answer by WindWalker10
Two letters: “S.R.”
The U.S. space program calls their “space pilots” astronauts.
The former U.S.S.R. space program called them cosmonauts.
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emmettgolf says
Not much. They are both equally nauts enough to strap themselves to a rocket that is then blasted off into space. The astros currently have a slightly better chance of surviving than the cosmos.
sofarsogood says
Yes, astronaut is the US term, cosmonaut is the Soviet (Russian) term. Get used to hearing a new one too, Chinese astronauts are called "taikonauts", from the Chinese word for astronaut, taikongyuan.
Martin S says
The only difference is from what country you come from, one is american and one is Russian. I'll let you figure out which is which.
Vincent G says
The country he/she comes from. US people who went to space called themselves "astronaut", in the former Soviet Union, they decided to call themselves cosmonauts.
benny says
The same meanings: USA= Astronaut. Russia=Cosmonaut
Jason says
They're the same thing. Americans call them astronauts and Russians call them cosmonauts.
braxton_paul says
America calls its spacemen "astronauts"
Russia calls its spacemen "cosmonauts"
The other big difference is in the chances of survival on any given flight 🙂