Being a passenger on a sailing ship doesn't mean you're a 'sailor' — so is Katy Perry an 'astronaut'?

Contrary to what might seem obvious, 'space' is not defined by the height at which you become weightless. Near-weightlessness can be achieved on one of those fairground experiences which drop you vertically: being 'weightless' is not the same thing as 'being an astronaut'

Mon, 05 May, 2025 - 10:00

Niall Smith

The question of 'when is an astronaut an astronaut?' has received much attention with the most recent flight by the space company Blue Origin that included a number of high-profile individuals.

While the question appears to be a simple one, the answer turns out not to be so.

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