Lunar Module Pilot

Astronauts hold a variety of ranks and positions. Each of these roles carries responsibilities that are essential to the operation of a spacecraft. A spacecraft's cockpit, filled with sophisticated equipment, requires skills differing from those used to manage the scientific equipment on board, and so on.

NASA ranks and positions

Ranks

Members of the NASA Astronaut Corps hold one of two ranks. Astronaut Candidate is the rank of those training to be NASA astronauts.

Upon graduation from training, candidates are promoted to Astronaut and receive their Astronaut Pin. The pin is issued in two grades, silver and gold, with the silver pin awarded to candidates who have successfully completed astronaut training and the gold pin to astronauts who have flown in space.

Chief of the Astronaut Office is a position, not a rank.

Positions

Roscosmos and Soviet space program ranks and positions

Ranks

Cosmonauts are professional space travellers from Russia. After initial training, cosmonauts are assigned as either a test cosmonaut () or a research cosmonaut (). A test cosmonaut has a more difficult preparation than a research cosmonaut and can serve as the commander or the flight engineer of a spacecraft, while a research cosmonaut cannot.

Higher ranks include pilot cosmonaut, test cosmonaut instructor, and research cosmonaut instructor.

Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation is a title that is presented to all cosmonauts who fly for the Russian space program.

Positions

China National Space Administration positions

Ranks

Similarly to NASA, members of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) hold one of two ranks. Astronaut Candidate is the rank of those training to be CNSA astronauts. Upon graduation, candidates are promoted to Astronaut.

The positions of Spacecraft Pilot, Flight Engineer, and Mission Payload Specialist were listed in the announcement for the Group 3 selection.

Positions

International Space Station positions

See also

* NASA Astronaut Groups – the phases of astronaut selection

Notes

References

External links

Shuttle Commander and Pilot definitionsShuttle PLC, MS, and PS definitions

{{Chinese space program

Outer space lists
Ranks
Awards and decorations of NASA