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| | Astronaut (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-09) |
 | | For the most part, "cosmonaut" and "astronaut" are synonyms in all languages, and the usage of choice is often dictated by political reasons. |
 | | However in the United States, the term "astronaut" is typically applied to the individual as soon as training begins, while in Russia, an individual is not labelled a cosmonaut until successful space flight. |
 | | The first astronauts, both in the USA and USSR, tended to be jet fighter pilots, often test pilots, from military backgrounds. |
| 664.mallforeverything.com (1385 words) |
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