Astronaut

A cosmonaut (Russian: космонавт, tr. kosmonavt) is a term used to describe an individual who has been trained and is engaged in spaceflight, particularly in the context of the Russian space program. The term is derived from the Greek words "kosmos" (κόσμος), meaning "universe" or "world," and "nautes" (ναύτης), meaning "sailor." In English, the equivalent term is astronaut, while in Chinese, it is translated as yuhángyuán (宇航员). The first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, made history on April 12, 1961, by becoming the first human to journey into outer space and orbit the Earth. Cosmonauts undergo rigorous training to prepare for the physical and psychological challenges of space travel, including zero-gravity environments, isolation, and the technical aspects of operating spacecraft. The term is predominantly used in Russia and other countries within the former Soviet sphere of influence, while "astronaut" is more commonly used in the United States and other Western countries. In China, the term taikonaut (from the Mandarin word "tài kōng" 太空, meaning "outer space") is sometimes used in English-language contexts to refer to Chinese space travelers.