Out of curiosity, how many astronauts can you name?

[Rett Mikhal]

How many can you name off the top of your head, without google or any other index?

I'm curious what the average would be. I like to ask this of people.

A lot of people will probably assume the average is two (for the two most famous), but so far it's closer to one, since a few people have answered zero to this. That saddens me a little.

Extra points if you can name the pilot of Apollo 11.

Any spacemen count, including cosmonauts. Cheaters will be punished with the knowledge they cheated.

 

[Canadave]

Okay, let's see... most of these will probably Mercury through Apollo. Spoiler coding so as not to give any other people ideas:

Spoiler: Astronauts

Neil Armstrong
Buzz Aldrin
Michael Collins
Jim Lovell
John Glenn
Roberta Bondar
Marc Garneau
Yuri Gagarin
Allan Sheppard
Gus Grissom

That's all that's coming to mind, though I'm sure there's more I know... the other two crew members of Apollo XIII, at the least, I should be able to think of. Even so, that's ten. Decent enough.

 

[sojourner]

Hmmm, let me see....

Spoiler: Names I know..

Neil Armstrong
Gene Cernan
Yuri Gagarin
Sally Ride
"Buzz" Aldrin
John Glen
Deek Slatin (I know I spelled this wrong)
Robert Crippen
John Young
Christy McCalaugh (the teacher)
Alan Shepard

I know more, my mind just blanks on things like this.

 

[Harvey]

Not accounting for spelling, which is sure to be poor...

Spoiler: astronauts

Neil Armstrong
Buzz Aldrin
Michael Collins
Pete Conrad
Al Bean
Deke Slayton
Jim Lovell
Gus Grissom
Wally Schirra
John Glenn
Alan Shepard
Fred Haise
Christa Mccaulife

 

[MANT!]

Spoiler alert..














Neil Armstrong
Buzz Aldrin
Michael Collins
Pete Conrad
Gene Cernan
Al Bean
Deke Slayton
Jim Lovell
Gus Grissom
Wally Schirra
John Glenn
Alan Shepard
Gordon Cooper
Scott Carpenter
Fred Haise
John Young
Sally Ride
Alexi Leonov
Yuri Gargarin
Valentina Tereshkova

 

[StarryEyed]

These popped into my head. I can think of several more but last names only.

Alan shepard
Jim Lovel
Niel Armstrong
Buzz Aldrin
Michael Collins
Alan Bean
Harrison Schmidt
Sally Ride
John Young
Scott Crippen
John Glenn
Scott Carpenter
Judy Resnik
Alexi Leonov
Yuri Gagarin
Mae Jameson

 

[sojourner]

^Is there a Scott Crippen as well as a Robert Crippen, or did you get that first name wrong?

 

[John Clark]

Off the top of my head, I could probably remember most of the Apollo and Gemini series of astronauts (though not necessarily which missions each one flew). As an example, I can remember the two who landed on Apollo 12, but not the pilot who stayed in orbit. On the other hand, for 11 I can remember all three.

I can remember the more famous Soviet ones but as for any of the astronauts since Apollo, not so much I'm afraid.

 

[StarryEyed]

^Is there a Scott Crippen as well as a Robert Crippen, or did you get that first name wrong?

Oops! Blew the first name.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Here goes:

Spoiler: my list off the top of my head

Yuri Gagarin
Alexei Leonov
Valentina Tereshkova
Vladimir Komarov
Ed White
Roger Chaffee
Alan Shepard
Virgil Grissom
John Glenn
Scott Carpenter
Gordon Cooper (yes, I was a fan of Thunderbirds too)
Frank Borman
Jim Lovell
Bill Anders
Walter Schirra
John Young
Neil Armstrong
Buzz Aldrin
Michael Collins
Pete Conrad
Alan Bean
Fred Haise
Jack Swigert
Harrison Schmidt
Dick Scobee
Sally Ride (heavy metal suicide )
Christina McAuliffe
Ellison Onizuka
Helen Sharman
Michael Foale
Nicholas Patrick
Dennis Tito
Richard Garriott

off the top of my head. Any others I'd have to look up.

 

[Rett Mikhal]

Wow, that certainly brings the average up. I suppose I should have expected that on a forum based on space exploration.

I'm not one to point fingers, but the lowest of the low have been the people I graduated high school with. I think the average was one, with several people answering zero. I'm sure they could tell you who did what with whom, where, and what car they drove at the time, for any event involving their friends in the last decade.

Although I'm not sure Christa MaAuliffe counts as an astronaut since she was technically a civilian brought on Challenger as part of a letter writing campaign. I'm from Framingham, her hometown, so I know all about her. Her house is not far from my old one.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Although I'm not sure Christa MaAuliffe counts as an astronaut since she was technically a civilian brought on Challenger as part of a letter writing campaign. I'm from Framingham, her hometown, so I know all about her. Her house is not far from my old one.

Well, the last two in my list were civilians too. I'm glad to hear McAuliffe inspired you.

My most recent home town was also the birth place of one of the other astronauts on the list. One of the more famous names from the city.

 

[Cicero]

Spoiler: Whom I remember by name

Buzz Aldrin
Neil Armstrong
Alan Bean
Frank Borman
Kalpana Chawla
Michael Collins
Pete Conrad
Gordon Cooper
Yuri Gagarin
John Glenn
Gordon
Gus Grissom
Rick Husband
Mae Jemison
Jim Lovell
Shannon Lucid
Christa McAuliffe
Wilie McCool
McNair
Onizuka
Illan Ramon
Judith Resnik
Sally Ride
Wally Schirra
Alan Shepard
Deke Slayton
Jack Swigert
Valentina Tereshkova

 

[SchwEnt]

Okay my turn:

Story Musgrave
Rick Hauck
Eileen Collins
Pete Collins
Fred Haise
Jim Lovell
Dave Scott
Guy Bluford
Dick Covey
Mae Jemison
Ed White
Roger Chaffee
Bruce McCandless
Ed Lu
Ken Bowersox
Scott Carpenter
Al Worden
Al Bean
Jim Irwin
Charlie Duke
John Young
Pam Melroy
Brent Jett
Charlie Hobaugh
Willie McCool
Mike Anderson
Ron McNair
Rick Husband
Mike Smith
Ken Mattingly
Jack Lousma
Owen Garriott
Stu Roosa
Ken Ham
Mike Collins
Leroy Chiao
Charlie Bolden
Kent Rominger
Steve Lindsay
Deke Slayton
Don Eisele
Wally Schirra
Gene Cernan
John Glenn
Dominic Gorie
Judy Resnick

...should I stop or keep going?

 

[STR]

Okay my turn:

Story Musgrave

Wondering when someone would finally mention him. He was kinda famous back in the 90's after the Hubble fix.

 

[sojourner]

Wow, that certainly brings the average up. I suppose I should have expected that on a forum based on space exploration.

I'm not one to point fingers, but the lowest of the low have been the people I graduated high school with. I think the average was one, with several people answering zero. I'm sure they could tell you who did what with whom, where, and what car they drove at the time, for any event involving their friends in the last decade.

Although I'm not sure Christa MaAuliffe counts as an astronaut since she was technically a civilian brought on Challenger as part of a letter writing campaign. I'm from Framingham, her hometown, so I know all about her. Her house is not far from my old one.

She's on the memorial at KSC, she gave her life. She's an astronaut.

 

[Starbreaker]

Armstrong
Aldrin
Gagarin

I knew a few others, but didn't really spend a lot of time trying to think of them.

 

[scotpens]

Mostly I remember the original Mercury astronauts, because space exploration was just beginning then, and I was young and geeky.

Let's see . . .

Spoiler: Mercury Astronauts

Alan Shepard (sp?)
John Glenn
Donald "Deke" Slayton
Wally Schirra
Scott Carpenter
Gus Grissom (Was he one of the original seven?)

Apollo 11:

Spoiler: Apollo 11 Crew

Neil Armstrong
Buzz Aldrin
Michael Collins

First man in space:

Spoiler: Some Russian dude

Yuri Gagarin

First woman in space:

Spoiler: Some Russian chick

Valentina Tereshkova

 

[CuttingEdge100]

Off the top of my head? I didn't read any of the other posts, so here it goes...

Alan Shepard (First American to orbit Earth)
John H. Glenn (First American to orbit Earth)
Wally Schirra
Joe Walker (He flew the X-15 sufficiently high to earn astronaut wings)
Valentina Tereshkova (First woman to orbit Earth)
Neil Armstrong (Apollo 11)
Edwin Aldrin (Apollo 11)
Michael Collins (Apollo 11)
Jim Lovell (Apollo 13)
Jack Swigert (Apollo 13)
Fred Haise (Apollo 13)
John Young (STS-1 Columbia)
Bob Crippen (STS-1 Columbia)
Sally Ride (First American woman in space)
Dick Scobee (Died on STS-51L Challenger)
Michael Smith (Died on STS-51L Challenger)
Ellison Onizuka (sp) (Died on STS-51L Challenger)
Judy Reznick (sp) (Died on STS-51L Challenger)
Christa McAuliffe (School Teacher; Died on STS-51L Challenger)
Ron McNair (Died on STS-51L Challenger)
Greg Jarvis (Died on STS-51L Challenger)
Rick Husband (Died when the Columbia burned up on re-entry)
William McCool (Died when the Columbia burned up on re-entry)
Ilan Ramon (First Israeli in Space; Died when the Columbia burned up on re-entry)

That's 24... obviously I'm missing some (I don't remember all the names of the people on the Columbia mission oddly)

 

[Mark de Vries]

Okay my turn:

Story Musgrave
Rick Hauck
Eileen Collins
Pete Collins
Fred Haise
Jim Lovell
Dave Scott
Guy Bluford
Dick Covey
Mae Jemison
Ed White
Roger Chaffee
Bruce McCandless
Ed Lu
Ken Bowersox
Scott Carpenter
Al Worden
Al Bean
Jim Irwin
Charlie Duke
John Young
Pam Melroy
Brent Jett
Charlie Hobaugh
Willie McCool
Mike Anderson
Ron McNair
Rick Husband
Mike Smith
Ken Mattingly
Jack Lousma
Owen Garriott
Stu Roosa
Ken Ham
Mike Collins
Leroy Chiao
Charlie Bolden
Kent Rominger
Steve Lindsay
Deke Slayton
Don Eisele
Wally Schirra
Gene Cernan
John Glenn
Dominic Gorie
Judy Resnick

...should I stop or keep going?

I was wondering when someone would include some astronauts who are currently active.

I'll add Alexander Skvortsov, Mikhail Kornienko and Tracy Caldwell Dyson, who are currently in space; and Doug Wheelock, Fyodor Yurchikhin and Shannon Walker, who'll be joining them this week.

I think I know a fair number of astronauts who've flown in the past few years.

Steve Lindsey
Mark Kelly
Scott Kelly (yes, they are twin brothers)
Garrett Reisman
Mike Massimino
Mike Good
Scott Altman
Megan McArthur
Nick Patrick
Robert Behnken
Oleg Kotov
Maksim Suraev
Jeff Williams
Gennady Padalka
Nicole Scott
Mike Barratt
Mikhail Tyurin
Oleg Kononenko
Roman Romanenko
Frank De Winne
Paolo Nespoli
Cady Coleman
Peggy Whitson
Pamela Melroy
Drew Feustel
Robert Satcher
Randy Bresnick
Alvin Drew
Charlie Hobaugh
Alan Poindexter
Jim Dutton

That'll do for starters