As more companies start selling tickets to travel into space, people are asking: Who gets to call themselves an astronaut? It is no longer an easy question to answer. People who are very rich are able to pay to go into space. Russian space officials have been calling them spaceflight participants for many years. The new supervisor of the U.S. space agency NASA is Bill Nelson. He does not consider himself an astronaut although he spent six days in space in 1986. He was a congressman then. He told The Associated Press that he believes the term “astronaut” should be for professionals. Richard Garriott is a computer game developer. He paid a lot of money for his trip to the International Space Station in 2008 on a Russian spacecraft. He hates the term space tourist. He said in an email, “I am an astronaut.” He said he trained for two years to go into space. Axiom Space’s Michael Lopez-Alegria is a former NASA astronaut. He will join three businessmen on a SpaceX spacecraft on a trip to the space station planned for January. They each paid $55 million for the trip. Lopez-Alegria said they do not consider themselves space tourists since they will be doing research. Recently, Axiom Space said there will be a second flight to the space station next year. Peggy Whitson will be on that flight. She is a retired NASA astronaut who has spent 665 days in space. Whitson will bring John Shoffner. He is a businessman and race car driver from Knoxville, Tennessee. He is also paying about $55 million. Shoffner said he asked Peggy to make the training difficult for him. He said, “Make me an astronaut.” The word astronaut comes from the Greek words for star and sailor. The idea is easy to market and astronauts appear in movies and popular culture. Jeff Bezos is the owner of the rocket company, Blue Origin. It will call future clients “astronauts.” It is selling a place on its first spaceflight with people, planned for July. NASA even has a new term for this kind of trip: PAM for Private Astronaut Mission.
Title: Who Is an Astronaut?
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Who Is an Astronaut?' data-article-id='5670'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='12000'>As more companies start selling tickets to travel into space, people are asking: Who gets to call themselves an astronaut?</span> <span data-start-time='12000' data-end-time='16604'>It is no longer an easy question to answer. </span> <span data-start-time='16604' data-end-time='21917'>People who are very rich are able to pay to go into space.</span> <span data-start-time='21917' data-end-time='28563'>Russian space officials have been calling them spaceflight participants for many years.</span> <span data-start-time='28563' data-end-time='34313'>The new supervisor of the U.S. space agency NASA is Bill Nelson.</span> <span data-start-time='34313' data-end-time='41958'> He does not consider himself an astronaut although he spent six days in space in 1986. </span> <span data-start-time='41958' data-end-time='44396'>He was a congressman then.</span> <span data-start-time='44396' data-end-time='51208'>He told The Associated Press that he believes the term “astronaut” should be for professionals.</span> <span data-start-time='51208' data-end-time='55688'>Richard Garriott is a computer game developer. </span> <span data-start-time='55688' data-end-time='64354'>He paid a lot of money for his trip to the International Space Station in 2008 on a Russian spacecraft. </span> <span data-start-time='64354' data-end-time='68042'>He hates the term space tourist. </span> <span data-start-time='68042' data-end-time='72271'>He said in an email, “I am an astronaut.” </span> <span data-start-time='72271' data-end-time='76125'>He said he trained for two years to go into space.</span> <span data-start-time='76125' data-end-time='82688'>Axiom Space’s Michael Lopez-Alegria is a former NASA astronaut. </span> <span data-start-time='82688' data-end-time='91438'>He will join three businessmen on a SpaceX spacecraft on a trip to the space station planned for January.</span> <span data-start-time='91438' data-end-time='95917'>They each paid $55 million for the trip. </span> <span data-start-time='95917' data-end-time='103958'>Lopez-Alegria said they do not consider themselves space tourists since they will be doing research.</span> <span data-start-time='103958' data-end-time='110333'>Recently, Axiom Space said there will be a second flight to the space station next year. </span> <span data-start-time='110333' data-end-time='113604'>Peggy Whitson will be on that flight. </span> <span data-start-time='113604' data-end-time='120729'>She is a retired NASA astronaut who has spent 665 days in space.</span> <span data-start-time='120729' data-end-time='123708'>Whitson will bring John Shoffner. </span> <span data-start-time='123708' data-end-time='128563'>He is a businessman and race car driver from Knoxville, Tennessee. </span> <span data-start-time='128563' data-end-time='132771'>He is also paying about $55 million. </span> <span data-start-time='132771' data-end-time='138229'>Shoffner said he asked Peggy to make the training difficult for him. </span> <span data-start-time='138229' data-end-time='141542'>He said, “Make me an astronaut.”</span> <span data-start-time='141542' data-end-time='147292'>The word astronaut comes from the Greek words for star and sailor. </span> <span data-start-time='147292' data-end-time='154188'>The idea is easy to market and astronauts appear in movies and popular culture.</span> <span data-start-time='154188' data-end-time='159375'>Jeff Bezos is the owner of the rocket company, Blue Origin. </span> <span data-start-time='159375' data-end-time='163042'>It will call future clients “astronauts.” </span> <span data-start-time='163042' data-end-time='169188'>It is selling a place on its first spaceflight with people, planned for July. </span> <span data-start-time='169188' data-end-time='177042'>NASA even has a new term for this kind of trip: PAM for Private Astronaut Mission.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/A.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17512 data-hint-location='64354' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/what_is_a_tourist.wav'>What is a tourist?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='A person who travels to a place for pleasure'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/a_person_who_travels_to_a_place_for_pleasure.wav'><span>A person who travels to a place for pleasure</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/a_person_who_pilots_a_spaceship.wav'><span>A person who pilots a spaceship</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/a_person_who_lacks_funds_to_purchase_a_flight.wav'><span>A person who lacks funds to purchase a flight</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/a_person_who_plays_a_stringed_instrument_such_as_a_guitar_or_violin.wav'><span>A person who plays a stringed instrument such as a guitar or violin</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17513 data-hint-location='154188' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/what_is_the_name_of_jeff_bezoss_rocket_company.wav'>What is the name of Jeff Bezos's rocket company?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Blue Origin'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/green_beret.wav'><span>Green Beret</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/blue_origin.wav'><span>Blue Origin</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/orange_daiquiri.wav'><span>Orange Daiquiri</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/amazon_prime.wav'><span>Amazon Prime</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17514 data-hint-location='141542' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/the_word_astronaut_comes_from_the_greek_words_for__blank__and_sailor_.wav'>The word astronaut comes from the Greek words for <span class='blank'>star</span> and sailor. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='star'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/star.wav'><span>star</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/moon.wav'><span>moon</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/sky.wav'><span>sky</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/rocket.wav'><span>rocket</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5133/A.wav
Preview
