Did you know that there are approximately 566 astronauts in the entirety of the world, out of which, merely 24 have travelled past the LEO (Low Earth Orbit). While this number may seem on the smaller side but the job is definitely not as glamorous as seen in the movies. However, it is just as heroic, inspirational and intrepid. While all the astronauts in the world went past the human barriers, there are definitely some that have left a mark in the world with their work. This list includes the 10 of the most influential astronauts and cosmonauts that have been instrumental in human space exploration till date.
1. Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla (in the middle) was the first American engineer and astronaut of Indian origin who went in space on the space shuttle Columbia. The accident that took place during the atmospheric re-entry in 2003, not only killed her but other 7 crew members. Before joining NASA in 1988 as a postdoctoral researcher, she went to the University of Punjab, India for her graduation and the University of Texas, Arlington to get her MSc in Aerospace Engineering. Chawla went on her first mission STS-87 along with 5 astronauts to deploy Spartan 201 and conduct various experiments including EVA before Columbia.
2. Mae Carol Jemison
Retired in March 1993, Mae Carol Jemison is an American physician, engineer and formal NASA astronaut who now owns her own research firm. She also starred in a Star Trek episode, which made her famous in the sci-fi industry. Mae Jamison was the first African American female to go to the outer space in 1992, onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Apart from a medical degree, she has nine other honorary doctorates in science, engineering and humanities.
3. Sally Kristen Ride
“The stars don’t look bigger, but they do look brighter.”
Born in 1951 in Los Angeles, California, Sally joined NASA in 1978, after completing her doctorate from Stanford University at the age of 27. She became the third women to enter space after 2 Russian cosmonauts. She was part of the mission STS-7 in 1983 as well as in 1984, both aboard the Challenger Space Shuttle. She was also the only person that served on both the investigating committees of the Challenger disaster and the Columbia disaster.
4. John Glenn
Born in July 1921, John Herschel Glenn Jr. was one of the first seven astronauts picked by NASA. His resume includes being a fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean War, the first American to orbit the Earth three times, a U.S. senator for 25 years from Ohio and the oldest person to go to space. His first mission’s objective was to see how the mercury spacecraft functioned in the space; while his last mission helped NASA learn what happens to older people in space. Glenn was 77 years old, which made him perfect for the job. Before dying in 2016, he worked with students at the Ohio State University.
5. Valeri Polyakov
Some of the biggest milestones in exploring space belongs to the Russians (then Soviets). Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov, a Russian cosmonaut holds till date the record for the longest stay in space at a single stretch. He spent more than 14 months on board the Mir space station. In total, he spent 678 days 16 hours and 32 minutes in space, which amounts to more than 22 months.
6. Alexei Leonov
On March 18, 1965, Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov became the first person in the world to conduct a spacewalk or perform an Extravehicular activity during the mission Voskhod 2. Not many know that the EVA was actually scheduled for Voskhod 1 but had to be postponed for a year. Leonov exited his capsule and walked for 12 minutes and 9 seconds during which he took a short motion picture and practiced free fall maneuvers. While returning to his capsule, he noticed that the pressure in his suit increased to the extent that he could not go through the hatch. The excess air had to be released before he could enter the capsule. However, releasing the valve of his suit resulted in loss of oxygen, which nearly killed Leonov.
7. Valentina Tereshkova
Nineteen years before Sally Ride, Valentina Tereshkova was the first female cosmonaut to fly into the space, just 2 years after the first person ever went there. Valentina is now 83 years old and is the oldest cosmonaut alive on the planet. After leaving the Soviet Space Agency, she joined the Communist Party and held several legal offices from 1966 to 1991. Till date, she is considered a hero in the country.
8. Alan Shepard
“It’s been a long way, but we’re here.”
During the 1950’s, the Soviet was way ahead of the U.S in the space race. It was actually after the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 that NASA was formed and given the green light to recruit astronauts from the military. Alan Shepard was a naval aviator, test pilot, businessman and most importantly, an American astronaut who was one of the seven astronauts in the Mercury seven. He took the flight in Freedom 7 and became the second person on Earth as well as the first American who travelled in space.
9. Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong is one person who does not need an introduction. He is undoubtedly the most famous astronaut in the history of human space exploration. Born in Ohio in 1930, Armstrong completed his graduation from Purdue University and joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautic before he became an astronaut. It was on the 16th of July on 1969, when Armstrong along with Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface of the moon and became the first person in the world to step on the moon.
10. Yuri Gagarin
The last spot in this list undoubtedly belongs to the person who first went to the space and it was Yuri Gagarin, a Russian cosmonaut who took the first manned flight to the outer space. He only beat Alan Shepard by a few weeks and became the first person to reach space on April 12, 1961 onboard Vostok 1. He died in 1968 during a routine exercise. His death was somewhat of a mystery and was a classified information until 2013. It was revealed that he had died due to another pilot’s error after the information was declassified.
