The word "astronaut" derives from the @Greek words meaning "star" and "sailor." These men and women û @Alan @Shepherd, @John @Glenn, Jr., @Sally @Ride, to name a few -- conjure up images of bravery and adventure. They are modern heroes, helping humanity reach for the stars.
When the space program began in 1959, there were only seven such people in the entire country. They all were then -- or had been in the past -- in the armed forces. Most of them were test pilots, used to the dangers that came from "pushing the envelope." That was only 36 years ago, and since then much has changed.
Today the @Americans who make up the shuttle crews are comprised of every race, creed, color, and gender. As of May 2, 1993, 180 men and 21 women astronauts were @Caucasian, six men and one woman were @African-American, three men and one woman were @Hispanic, and two men were of @Asian descent.
@NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, chooses its astronauts from an increasingly diverse pool of applicants that "looks like America." Thousands of applications come in from all over the world; from these, approximately 100 men and women are chosen for an intensive astronaut candidate training program every two years. "I cannot imagine a better career. I've done more than I could ever have imagined. I'm thankful that I've been at the right place at the right time," says astronaut @Kenneth S. @Reightler.
The training is demanding, but the study time involved is no longer than that of any other professional career requiring graduate/post-graduate study.
