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Spaceflight participant

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Spaceflight participant (Russian: участник космического полета, romanized: uchastnik kosmicheskogo polyota) is the term used by NASA,[1] Roscosmos,[2] and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)[3] for people who travel into space, but are not professional astronauts.[1]

While the term gained new prominence with the rise of space tourism, it has also been used for participants in programs like NASA's Teacher in Space and astronauts designated by inter-government agreements like the Angkasawan program and the Korean Astronaut Program.

Other terms used for space travelers who are not career astronauts include NASA's Payload Specialist and the RKA's Researcher-Cosmonaut.

Background

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See also: Astronaut ranks and positions

The Soviet Interkosmos program included participants selected from Warsaw Pact members and later from allies of the USSR and non-aligned countries. Most of these people received full training for their missions and were treated as equals, but especially after the Mir program began, were generally given shorter flights than Soviet cosmonauts. The European Space Agency took advantage of the program as well.

The United States Space Shuttle program included Payload Specialist positions which were usually filled by representatives of companies or institutions managing a specific payload on that mission. These individuals did not receive the same level of training as the NASA Astronaut Corps and were private astronauts.

In the early days of the Shuttle program, NASA was also eager to prove its capability to Congressional sponsors, and Senator Jake Garn and Representative Bill Nelson were both given opportunities to fly on a Shuttle mission.

The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 stated that NASA should provide the "widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof". The Naugle panel of 1982 concluded that carrying civilians—those not NASA astronauts—on the shuttle was part of "the purpose of adding to the public's understanding of space flight".[4] As the Shuttle program expanded, NASA developed the Space Flight Participant Program, where civilians, with an emphasis on creative people, would be sent into space to increase public awareness of NASA's mission. The initial goal was that two or three shuttle missions a year would include a civilian participant.[5] The agency hoped that potential passengers such as Walter Cronkite and James Michener could "communicate" space to the public.[4] The first would be the Teacher in Space Project, which would combine publicity and educational opportunities for NASA. Christa McAuliffe would have been the first Teacher in Space, but she was killed in the Challenger disaster and the program was canceled. At the time of the Challenger disaster, NASA was planning to include a Journalist in Space on a mission scheduled to launch in September 1986. The program continued briefly, with the initial candidate pool being narrowed to 100 in March and 40 in April before being postponed indefinitely in July.[6][7] Walter Cronkite and Miles O'Brien were considered front-runners.[8][9][10]

With the realities of the post-perestroika economy in Russia, its space industry was especially starved for cash. The Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) offered to pay for one of its reporters to fly on a mission. For $28 million, Toyohiro Akiyama, was flown in 1990 to Mir with the eighth crew and returned a week later with the seventh crew. Akiyama gave a daily television broadcast from orbit and also performed scientific experiments for Russian and Japanese companies.

Since then, the Russian Federal Space Agency has also sold seats to a consortium of British companies for Project Juno, to seven self-funded space tourists, to the Malaysian government as part of a contract to sell military planes, and to the South Korean government as part of the Korean Astronaut Program.

List of spaceflight participants

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This list excludes Axiom Space tourists listed at List of Axiom Space Missions.

Name Nationality Program/Sponsor Flight Date Comments
Dennis Tito   United States Self-funded space tourist Soyuz TM-32 / Soyuz TM-31 April 28 - May 6, 2001 First space tourist.
Mark Shuttleworth   South Africa Self-funded space tourist Soyuz TM-34 / Soyuz TM-33 April 25 - May 5, 2002 Shuttleworth was the first person with South African citizenship to fly in space.
Gregory Olsen   United States Self-funded space tourist Soyuz TMA-7 / Soyuz TMA-6 October 1–11, 2005
Marcos Pontes   Brazil Missão Centenário
AEB 		Soyuz TMA-8 / Soyuz TMA-7 March 30 - April 8, 2006 First Brazilian astronaut. Trained to fly both in the Space Shuttle during his initial NASA training[11] and in the Soyuz after an agreement between Brazil and Russia.[12]
Anousheh Ansari   Iran /
  United States 		Self-funded space tourist Soyuz TMA-9 / Soyuz TMA-8 September 18–29, 2006 Trained as back-up to Enomoto. Was the first person with Iranian citizenship to fly in space.
Charles Simonyi   Hungary /
  United States 		Self-funded space tourist Soyuz TMA-10 / Soyuz TMA-9 April 7–21, 2007
Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor   Malaysia Angkasawan program Soyuz TMA-11 / Soyuz TMA-10 10–21 October 2007 Back-up was Faiz Khaleed.
Yi So-yeon   South Korea Korean Astronaut Program Soyuz TMA-12 / Soyuz TMA-11 8–19 April 2008 Back-up was Ko San.
Richard Garriott   United States Self-funded space tourist Soyuz TMA-13 / Soyuz TMA-12 12 October 2008 - 23 October 2008 Back-up was Nik Halik.[13][14]
Charles Simonyi   Hungary /
  United States 		Self-funded space tourist Soyuz TMA-14 / Soyuz TMA-13 26 March 2009 - 8 April 2009 Backup was Esther Dyson.[15] Simonyi was the first repeat space tourist.
Guy Laliberté   Canada Self-funded space tourist Soyuz TMA-16 / Soyuz TMA-14 30 September 2009 - 11 October 2009 First Canadian space tourist.[16] Backup was Barbara Barrett[17]
Hazza Al Mansouri   UAE Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre Soyuz MS-15/Soyuz MS-12 25 September 2019 - 3 October 2019 First UAE citizen to fly in space. Originally scheduled to launch on Soyuz MS-12 and land on Soyuz MS-10. This was changed to Soyuz MS-15 after Soyuz MS-10 aborted during launch.[18]
Klim Shipenko   RUS Channel One Soyuz MS-19/Soyuz MS-18 5-18 October 2021 Members of the movie project "The Challenge".[19][2] They have Aleksey Dudin and Alena Mordovina as their backup.[20]
Yulia Peresild
Yusaku Maezawa   Japan Self-funded space tourist Soyuz MS-20 8-20 December 2021 Maezawa and Hirano were the first space tourists from Japan.[19] Maezawa purchased two seats from Space Adventures.[21] There was no backup crew for Maezawa but Shun Ogiso, the Public Relations Manager of the Start Today corporation, was backup for Hirano.
Yozo Hirano
Marina Vasilevskaya   Belarus Belarus Space Agency Soyuz MS-25 / MS-24 March 25 - April 6, 2024 First Belarusian in space.[22]
In progress flight
None
Future flights
None planned as of now
Failed attempts
Christa McAuliffe[23]   United States Teacher in Space Project STS-51-L 28 January 1986 Killed alongside six fellow crew members in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Back-up was Barbara Morgan, who was selected in 1998 to train as a mission specialist. Morgan finally flew to space aboard STS-118 in 2007, but as a "teacher-turned-astronaut", not a space flight participant.
Lance Bass   United States Corporate-funded space tourist Completed training but seat on Soyuz TMA-1 in 2002 was cancelled after funding fell through.
Daisuke Enomoto   Japan Self-funded space tourist Expected to fly on Soyuz TMA-9 in September 2006, but was grounded for medical reasons and seat was given to Ansari.
Sarah Brightman   United Kingdom Self-funded space tourist Soyuz TMA-18M / Soyuz TMA-16M Scheduled for 1 September 2015 - 11 September 2015[24] Space Adventures announced on October 10, 2012, that Sarah Brightman would fly to the International Space Station on an upcoming Soyuz flight. Backup was Satoshi Takamatsu.[25] She subsequently pulled out of the flight.[26]
Vladimir Gruzdev   Russia Political party-sponsored trip Was expected to fly in 2009. The United Russia political party was expected to pay the estimated $25 million for the flight from the party funds.[27]

The first eight space tourism trips went to and from the International Space Station on Soyuz spacecraft and were arranged through the space tourism company, Space Adventures.[28]

Other missions

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While not labeled as "spaceflight participants", the following people participated in NASA or Roscosmos spaceflight missions under the auspices of special programs outside the professional astronaut corps.

Name Nationality Program/Sponsor Flight Date Comments
Jake Garn   United States US Government STS-51-D 12–19 April 1985 To demonstrate the capabilities of the Space Shuttle, NASA offered a seat to Garn, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.[29]
Bill Nelson   United States US Government STS-61-C 12–18 January 1986 NASA also provided a seat to Nelson, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives at the time and future Administrator of NASA.[30] He was originally scheduled to be aboard STS-51-L.
Edward C. Aldridge Jr.   United States US Government STS-62-A NASA assigned a seat to Aldridge, the Secretary of the Air Force, on mission STS-62-A, the first Shuttle mission scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base.[31] After the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the mission was cancelled and Aldridge never flew.
Toyohiro Akiyama   Japan Tokyo Broadcasting System Soyuz TM-11 / Soyuz TM-10 2–10 December 1990 As an employee of TBS, Akiyama could be considered the first space business traveler.
Helen Sharman   United Kingdom Project Juno Soyuz TM-12 / Soyuz TM-11 18–26 May 1991 Through Project Juno, a consortium of British companies partially funded a seat on a Soyuz flight to Mir (the Soviet Union covered the rest of the cost) in order to put the first Briton into space.[32]

Private employers

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People who flew into space as private sector employees - they were not necessarily considered spaceflight participants in their flights:[33]

Name[34] Missions Time in space Company Refs.
  Charles Walker   STS-41-D
  STS-51-D
  STS-61-B 		19d 21h 56m MDAC [35]
  Robert Cenker   STS-61-C 6d 02h 03m RCA [36]
  Gregory Jarvis   STS-51-L Died at launch. HACES [37]
  Toyohiro Akiyama   Soyuz TM-11 7d 21h 54m TBS [38][39]
  Helen Sharman   Soyuz TM-12 7d 21h 13m MNB [40]
  Klim Shipenko   Soyuz MS-19 11d 19h 40m PERVK [41]
  Yulia Peresild [42]

Notes

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1.^ Not always the case, since Marcos Pontes, trained in the NASA Group 17, was a spaceflight participant in the Soyuz TMA-8.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ladwig, Alan (October 1, 1985). "The Space Flight Participant Program - Taking the teacher and classroom into space". NASA Technical Reports Server. NASA. Retrieved July 10, 2015. document ID no. 19860031168.
  2. ^ a b "У основного экипажа МКС-66 начались совместные тренировки" (in Russian). 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  3. ^ FAA regulations, Commercial Space Transportation, 14 CFR 14/part- § 401.5
  4. ^ a b Pincus, Walter (1986-03-05). "NASA's Push to Put Citizen in Space Overtook Fully 'Operational' Shuttle". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
  5. ^ "The Space Flight Participant Program - Taking the teacher and classroom into space". NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS). NASA. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  6. ^ "Journalist in space candidates narrowed". Google News. Times Daily. 29 April 1986. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Journalist-in-space program on hold". UPI.com. UPI. 15 July 1986. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  8. ^ Roger Rosenblatt (2001-06-24). "A Realm Where Age Doesn't Count". Time Magazine / CNN. Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  9. ^ "May fly sometime". Space Today Online. 2005. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  10. ^ "Candidates for the "Journalist in Space Program"". Space Facts. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  11. ^ "Astronauta realiza o sonho de milhares de brasileiros" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2001-02-10. Archived from the original on 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  12. ^ "Brazil's President In Moscow Signs Deal For Joint Space Mission". Oct 18, 2005. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  13. ^ Tariq Malik (2008). "'Thrillionaire' Signs on as Backup Space Tourist". SPACE.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2008.
  14. ^ ap.google.com, US game designer blasts into space with DNA cargo Archived October 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "U.S. Billionaire to Make Second Private Spaceflight". Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  16. ^ "Acrobat to Be Next Space Tourist". Archived from the original on June 13, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  17. ^ "Жена главы компании Intel готовится стать космонавтом" (in Russian). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  18. ^ Ugalde, Victoria (2019-08-29). "United Arab Emirates spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori". NASA. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
  19. ^ a b "Actress and moon-bound billionaire to film on space station missions". 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  20. ^ "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz MS-19". 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  21. ^ @spaceadventures (May 13, 2021). "Yusaku Maezawa purchased two seats on the #Soyuz spacecraft from Space Adventures. He and his assistant, Yozo Hirano, completed their spaceflight training in Russia next month after passing the required medical examinations. @yousuckMZ
    @Roscosmos
    #spaceflight"     (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. ^ Pearlmanpublished, Robert Z. (2024-03-23). "Flight attendant becomes 1st Belarusian in space on ISS-bound Soyuz launch". Space.com. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  23. ^ "Payload Specialist Astronauts". Jsc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  24. ^ "Soyuz 44 Crew Profiles". www.nasa.gov. 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2015-03-07.
  25. ^ "Space Adventures Announces that Satoshi Takamatsu Will Begin Orbital Spaceflight Training in Star City, Russia". Space Adventures, Ltd. 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  26. ^ Jeff Foust (22 June 2015). "Kazakh Cosmonaut To Take Brightman's Place On Soyuz Flight". Space News.
  27. ^ "Kazakh Cosmonaut May Fly To Space Station Next Year". Via Satellite. November 17, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  28. ^ Kevin Bonsor (2007). "How Space Tourism Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  29. ^ "ORAL HISTORY 2 TRANSCRIPT : ROBERT E. STEVENSON INTERVIEWED BY CAROL BUTLER : HOUSTON, TEXAS – 13 MAY 1999" (PDF). Jsc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  30. ^ "61-C". Science.ksc.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 2009-03-30. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  31. ^ "Astronaut Biography: Edward Aldridge". Spacefacts.de. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  32. ^ "1991: Sharman becomes first Briton in space". BBC News. 1991-05-18. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
  33. ^ "Jonathan's Space Report | Human Spaceflight: Rides". Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  34. ^ "List of rides". 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  35. ^ "Astronaut Biography: Charles Walker". 2018-08-24. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  36. ^ "Astronaut Biography: Robert Cenker". 2018-08-24. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  37. ^ "Astronaut Biography: Gregory Jarvis". 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  38. ^ "Cosmonaut Biography: Toyohiro Akiyama". 2018-04-20. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  39. ^ Anatoly Zak (2015-06-27). "Soyuz TM-11: First journalist in space". Archived from the original on 2020-06-07. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  40. ^ "Cosmonaut Biography: Helen Sharman". 2018-04-20. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  41. ^ "Tourist Biography: Klim Shipenko". 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  42. ^ "Tourist Biography: Yulia Peresild". 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
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