Richard Branson launches for Space!

[TCABM]

Does one need a medical certificate to be an astronaut?

 

[SoonerAviator]

I suggest 'Astronaut'.

I'm fine with 'space tourist' or 'suborbital space passenger' or something for the rest, recognizing that they still receive some level of training and some level of fitness is required. Just not at the 'right stuff' level of the Astronaut corp.

As Craig mentioned, the term "astronaut" is simply defined by US/NASA by those who have flown 50 miles or higher. Nothing else included in the definition limits it to those who have any specific training. I suppose the could modify the definition, but as it sits, we'd need a different term to refer to NASA-astronauts.

Most of the people who went to space in the shuttle couldn't fly the shuttle. They're all astronauts, but they aren't all shuttle pilots or commanders.

Yup. Precisely what I was getting at. Having a biologist conduct experiments in space still makes them an astronaut, even if they aren't capable of piloting/commanding the space shuttle.

US miltary and NASA define astronauts as those that have flown at 50 miles or higher.

I'm sure if NASA considered how easy it might be to become an "astronaut" in 60 years, they may have put some additional constraints on the title, lol.

 

[X3 Skier]

I’ve met two Astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Gen Bob Rushworth. Everybody knows Armstrong and what he did but I have the same respect for Rushworth who earned his rating flying the X-15.

I also think Ham the chimpanzee who flew into Space during the Mercury Program deserves the modified designation, Astronaut*, as Bezos and Branson. If an asterisk is good enough for Baseball, why not space tourists?

Cheers.