Walking On The Moon Astronauts - The Payload Commander
A Payload Commander is responsible for the coordination of
any experiments that are carried out during a
space mission. For example, over 80 experiments were performed during the 16-day,
STS-107 Columbia mission. One study involved the growth of prostate cancer tissue, while another showed that carpenter
ants don't seem to notice weightlessness. A Payload Commander is always a NASA astronaut.
Astronauts - The Payload Specialist
A Payload Specialist is someone other than a NASA astronaut, who is assigned to a space mission by either a corporation or
another country to
oversee and help with a certain mission experiment. Payload Specialists can come from universities,
research centers, government agencies, businesses or other nations that use the space shuttle. Usually a Payload Specialist will work on one specific experiment, but if it looks like a crew has too much work to handle on their own, the Payload Specialist will often
lend a hand.
Astronauts - The Mission Specialist
There are usually three Mission Specialists aboard a space shuttle. They must have knowledge of
all the experiments taking place on board, unless a Payload Specialist is in charge of the experiment and will not require help with it. A Mission Specialist also must know about
safety procedures, shuttle operations, crew activity planning and the usage of consumables (food) on board the shuttle. In order to become a Mission Specialist astronaut, you have to pass a
NASA Class II space physical to make sure you are in top physical condition.
Click here to read more about the types of astronauts that NASA sends into space.
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The Highs & Lows of the Space Program
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Space Term Glossary
More Job Profiles
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