List of Famous Astronauts

Human spaceflight mixes technical milestones with human stories—test pilots, scientists and engineers who flew beyond Earth and changed how we see our planet and universe. These figures span eras, agencies and missions, so a compact list helps spot trends and notable firsts at a glance.

There are 41 Famous Astronauts, ranging from Alan Bean to Zhai Zhigang. For each entry you’ll find below Nationality,Key missions and year(s),Notability (max 15 words), so you can quickly compare backgrounds, key flights and why each person matters—you’ll find below.

How were the people on this list chosen?

The list focuses on widely recognized astronauts who made notable contributions (historic firsts, landmark missions, or sustained impact) as documented by mission records and reputable space histories; it’s not exhaustive of every astronaut but highlights those frequently cited in public sources.

Can I use the columns to filter by country or mission era?

Yes—Nationality lets you group by country, Key missions and year(s) show era and mission type, and Notability gives a quick reason to prioritize further reading; use those fields to sort or filter the table for research or comparison.

Famous Astronauts

Images and Descriptions

Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong (1930–2012) was an American naval aviator and NASA astronaut who commanded Apollo 11 and became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969, a defining moment that symbolized human achievement in space exploration.

Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin (born 1930) is an American astronaut and engineer who served as lunar module pilot on Apollo 11, becoming the second person to walk on the Moon and later an active advocate for human space exploration and STEM education.

Michael Collins

Michael Collins (1930–2021) was an American astronaut who piloted Apollo 11’s command module, maintaining critical orbital operations while Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the surface, a vital but often underappreciated role in the mission’s success.

Yuri Gagarin

Yuri Gagarin (1934–1968) was a Soviet cosmonaut who became the first human to orbit Earth aboard Vostok 1 in 1961, instantly becoming an international icon of the space age and a symbol of Soviet achievement.

Alan Shepard

Alan Shepard (1923–1998) was a U.S. Navy pilot and NASA astronaut who became the first American in space on Freedom 7 and later commanded Apollo 14, walking on the Moon and exemplifying early American human spaceflight.

John Glenn

John Glenn (1921–2016) was a Marine aviator and astronaut who became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962 and famously returned in 1998 aboard Discovery, becoming the oldest person to fly in orbit.

Valentina Tereshkova

Valentina Tereshkova (born 1937) is a Soviet-era cosmonaut who became the first woman in space aboard Vostok 6 in 1963, breaking gender barriers and remaining a prominent historical figure in human spaceflight history.

Alexei Leonov

Alexei Leonov (1934–2019) was a Soviet cosmonaut who performed the first-ever extravehicular activity during Voskhod 2 in 1965 and later participated in international cooperation during the 1975 Apollo–Soyuz mission.

Gherman Titov

Gherman Titov (1935–2000) was a Soviet cosmonaut who piloted Vostok 2 at age 25, becoming the youngest person to orbit Earth and demonstrating human endurance on longer early spaceflights.

Sally Ride

Sally Ride (1951–2012) was an American physicist and NASA astronaut who became the first American woman in space aboard STS-7 in 1983, later focusing on science education and inspiring many young people toward STEM.

Mae Jemison

Mae Jemison (born 1956) is an American physician and former NASA astronaut who flew on STS-47 in 1992, becoming the first African American woman in space and later promoting science, technology, and education.

Eileen Collins

Eileen Collins (born 1956) is an American astronaut and Air Force pilot who became the first woman to command a Space Shuttle on STS-93, breaking leadership barriers and contributing to shuttle program operations.

Jim Lovell

Jim Lovell (born 1928) is an American astronaut who flew historic missions including Apollo 8 and commanded Apollo 13, skillfully leading his crew through the 1970 in-flight emergency to a safe return.

John Young

John Young (1930–2018) was an American astronaut who flew in Gemini, walked on the Moon during Apollo 16, and commanded the first Space Shuttle flight, representing a uniquely broad and influential career.

Eugene Cernan

Eugene “Gene” Cernan (1934–2017) was a U.S. Navy pilot and astronaut who commanded Apollo 17 and, in 1972, became the last person to leave footprints on the lunar surface to date.

Chris Hadfield

Chris Hadfield (born 1959) is a Canadian astronaut known for commanding the ISS and for his engaging public outreach, including music and social media that brought spaceflight to global audiences.

Peggy Whitson

Peggy Whitson (born 1960) is an American biochemist and astronaut who set U.S. records for cumulative time in space, commanded the ISS, and led many long-duration science missions advancing human space habitation knowledge.

Gennady Padalka

Gennady Padalka (born 1958) is a Russian cosmonaut who holds the world record for cumulative time in space, logging numerous long-duration missions across Mir and the ISS and contributing extensive operational experience.

Valery Polyakov

Valery Polyakov (born 1942) is a Russian cosmonaut who spent a record single continuous 437 days aboard Mir in 1994–1995, providing crucial medical data on the effects of very long-term spaceflight on the human body.

Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla (1962–2003) was an Indian-American astronaut who flew two Space Shuttle missions; she died during the Columbia disaster in 2003 and is remembered for her pioneering journey and scientific work.

Rakesh Sharma

Rakesh Sharma (born 1949) is an Indian Air Force pilot who flew to the Soviet Mir space station aboard Soyuz T-11 in 1984 as part of an Indo-Soviet program, becoming the first Indian citizen to travel to space.

Yang Liwei

Yang Liwei (born 1965) is a Chinese pilot and astronaut who became the first person sent into space by the People’s Republic of China aboard Shenzhou 5 in 2003, marking China’s entry into human spaceflight.

Liu Yang

Liu Yang (born 1978) is a Chinese Air Force astronaut who flew on Shenzhou 9 in 2012, becoming the first Chinese woman in space and participating in China’s first crewed docking with the Tiangong module.

Zhai Zhigang

Zhai Zhigang (born 1966) is a Chinese astronaut who performed China’s first extravehicular activity during Shenzhou 7 in 2008, a major technical milestone for the country’s human space program.

Helen Sharman

Helen Sharman (born 1963) is a British chemist who flew to Mir as part of Project Juno in 1991, becoming the first Briton in space and later promoting science education and public engagement.

Tim Peake

Tim Peake (born 1972) is a British Army test pilot and ESA astronaut who served six months on the ISS, undertaking experiments and outreach, and becoming a high-profile public ambassador for space science.

Samantha Cristoforetti

Samantha Cristoforetti (born 1977) is an Italian astronaut and Air Force pilot who set a then-record for longest single spaceflight by a woman and contributed to numerous scientific experiments aboard the ISS.

Luca Parmitano

Luca Parmitano (born 1976) is an Italian astronaut known for multiple spacewalks, overcoming a helmet-flooding incident in 2013, and later commanding ISS operations while carrying out advanced scientific and engineering tasks.

Scott Kelly

Scott Kelly (born 1964) is an American astronaut who spent nearly a year aboard the ISS in 2015–2016 to study long-duration effects on the human body, notably compared with his twin brother in a unique biomedical experiment.

Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly (born 1964) is an American astronaut and naval aviator who flew four Space Shuttle missions, commanded two, and later contributed to public discussion about spaceflight and technology; he is Scott Kelly’s twin.

Guion Bluford

Guion Bluford (born 1942) is an American aerospace engineer and astronaut who became the first African American to fly in space on STS-8 and participated on several subsequent Shuttle missions.

Yuri Malenchenko

Yuri Malenchenko (born 1961) is a Russian cosmonaut who completed many long-duration missions aboard Mir and the ISS, serving multiple times as commander and conducting numerous EVAs in international cooperation.

Sergey Krikalev

Sergey Krikalev (born 1958) is a Russian cosmonaut who flew numerous long missions across Mir and the ISS, experienced being stranded during the Soviet collapse, and accumulated record-setting cumulative time aloft.

Sunita Williams

Sunita Williams (born 1965) is an American astronaut known for many EVAs, long-duration ISS missions, and outreach; she held records for female spacewalk time and served as a prominent space engineer and researcher.

Robert Behnken

Robert Behnken (born 1970) is an American astronaut who flew multiple Shuttle missions and served on Demo-2, the first crewed Crew Dragon flight to the ISS, marking a key transition to commercial crewed launches.

Douglas Hurley

Douglas Hurley (born 1966) is an American astronaut and Marine Corps pilot who commanded the historic Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission, helping restore crewed launches from U.S. soil and bridging shuttle and commercial eras.

Alan Bean

Alan Bean (1932–2018) was a U.S. Navy astronaut who walked on the Moon during Apollo 12, later flew on Skylab and pursued a noted career as an artist illustrating lunar exploration.

Harrison Schmitt

Harrison Schmitt (born 1935) is an American geologist and astronaut who landed and walked on the Moon during Apollo 17, bringing formal geological expertise to lunar science and later serving in public office.

Svetlana Savitskaya

Svetlana Savitskaya (born 1948) is a Soviet cosmonaut who became the first woman to perform an EVA in 1984 and contributed to Soviet long-duration station research and women’s achievements in spaceflight.

Scott Carpenter

Scott Carpenter (1925–2013) was one of NASA’s original Mercury Seven astronauts who piloted Mercury-Atlas 7, contributing to early understanding of human orbital operations and helping shape the nascent U.S. astronaut corps.

Wally Schirra

Wally Schirra (1923–2007) was an American astronaut who flew in Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, known for his technical skill and being one of the few to bridge multiple early U.S. human spaceflight programs.