Abstract
As space becomes more and more accessible to the general population, the terminology we used in the past to describe those who trained endlessly to become the pioneers of a new frontier is beginning to lose its meaning. Astronauts like Colonel Richard Covey have earned their title and to bestow it on others who haven't gone through the same training or have paid to visit space as a tourist is wrong. My hope is to provide the necessary background information about what it means to be an Astronaut and provoke thought about preserving the term and creating new terminology for the future.
Astronaut or AstroNOT?
As space becomes more and more accessible to the general population, the terminology we used in the past to describe those who trained endlessly to become the pioneers of a new frontier is beginning to lose its meaning. Astronauts like Colonel Richard Covey have earned their title and to bestow it on others who haven't gone through the same training or have paid to visit space as a tourist is wrong. My hope is to provide the necessary background information about what it means to be an Astronaut and provoke thought about preserving the term and creating new terminology for the future.