China also has an astronaut-training program. Astronauts and cosmonauts operate spacecraft and space stations, launch and recapture satellites, and conduct scientific experiments. The word astronaut comes from Greek words that mean sailor among the stars. Cosmonaut means sailor of the universe. They live and train at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Astronauts travel into space aboard space shuttles.
Pilot astronauts command and pilot shuttles. Most pilot astronauts are test pilots from the United States Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps. They are paid according to their military rank. Mission specialists work with pilots to maintain spacecraft and the equipment aboard. They also conduct experiments and launch satellites.