Commercial astronaut


A commercial astronaut is a person who is a crew member of a privately-owned spacecraft.
The FAA launched the commercial astronaut designation in 2004 to promote commercial innovation for spaceflight and was awarding commercial astronaut wings to non-astronaut people that flew into space. The program was ended in 2022 with the rise of commercial space tourism that involved non-crew-controlled space craft that are either ground-controlled or autonomously controlled entirely by on-board computers, with people flying into space as such non-crew members are designated as spaceflight participant instead.

Criteria

The definition of "astronaut" and the criteria for determining who has achieved human spaceflight vary. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale defines spaceflight as any flight over of altitude. In the United States, professional, military, and commercial astronauts who travel above an altitude of are eligible to be awarded astronaut wings. Until 2003, professional space travelers were sponsored and trained exclusively by governments, whether by the military or by civilian space agencies. However, with the first sub-orbital flight by the privately funded Scaled Composites Tier One program in 2004, the commercial astronaut category was created. The next commercial program to achieve sub-orbital flight was Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo program in 2018. Criteria for commercial astronaut status in other countries have yet to be made public.
By 2021, with the substantial increase in commercial spaceflight—with the first suborbital passenger flight by both Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo and Blue Origin's New Shepard in July, and with SpaceX's first orbital private spaceflight completed on September 18, 2021—the roles and functions of people going to space are expanding. Criteria for the broader designation "astronaut" has become open to interpretation. Even in the US alone, the "FAA, U.S. military and NASA all have different definitions of what it means to be designated as an 'astronaut' and none of them fit perfectly with the way Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic are doing business." It is even possible that by the FAA commercial astronaut definition, one company's July flight participants may receive FAA commercial astronaut wings while the other will not. SpaceNews reported that "Blue Origin awarded their version of astronaut wings" to the four participants of the first Blue Origin passenger flight but was unclear on whether these included the FAA astronaut designation.

FAA Commercial Astronaut rating

With the advent of private commercial space flight ventures in the U.S., the FAA has been faced with the task of developing a certification process for the pilots of commercial spacecraft. The Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 established the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation and required companies to obtain a launch license for vehicles, but at the time crewed commercial flight – and the licensing of crewmembers – was not considered. The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act has led to the issuance of draft guidelines by the FAA in February 2005 for the administration of vehicle and crew certifications. Currently, the FAA has not issued formal regulatory guidance for the issuance of a Commercial Astronaut Certificate, but as an interim measure, has established the practice of awarding "Commercial Astronaut Wings" to commercial pilots who have demonstrated the requisite proficiency. The content of 14 CFR Part 460 implies that an instrument rating and second-class medical certificate issued within the 12 months prior to the proposed qualifying flight will be included as a minimum standard.
The FAA's Commercial Astronaut Wings Program is designed to recognize flight crewmembers who further the FAA's mission to promote the safety of vehicles designed to carry humans. Astronaut Wings are given to flight crew who have demonstrated a safe flight to and return from space on an FAA/AST licensed mission. To be eligible for FAA Commercial Space Astronaut Wings, commercial launch crewmembers must meet the following criteria:

Astronaut Wings

The emblem for the first set of FAA Commercial Astronaut Wings issued in 2004 has in its center a green globe on a blue background, with the three-prong astronaut symbol superimposed on top. In yellow block text around the globe are the words "Commercial Space Transportation" in all capital letters. In a gold ring outside the blue are the words "Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration" in black. Beginning with the wings awarded for flights in 2018, the design has been simplified to be the astronaut symbol, surrounded by the words "Commercial Space Transportation", all in gold on a black background. In December 2021, the FAA reconsidered the Commercial Astronaut Wings program as commercial space travel increased, and decided to end the program in January 2022. Despite this, the FAA will still continue to recognize future commercial astronauts and will maintain a list of commercial astronauts who have flown to an altitude of 50 miles or higher.
Years awardedCountryCommercial Astronaut Wings
2004US
2018 – 2021US

List of commercial astronauts

Beginning in January 2022, the FAA started to maintain a list of individuals who have received FAA human spaceflight recognition. As of July 2022, there are the names of 45 individuals on that list that qualify for FAA human spaceflight recognition, but only 30 individuals on that list received FAA Commercial Space Astronaut Wings.
#NameVehicleCompanyAwarding BodyQualification DateMax AltitudeNotes
1Mike MelvillSpaceShipOneScaled CompositesFAA21 June 2004First set of Commercial Astronaut wings; flight 15P
2Brian BinnieSpaceShipOneScaled CompositesFAA31 October 2014flight 17P
3Michael AlsburySpaceShipTwo EnterpriseScaled CompositesFAA31 October 2014Honorary; awarded posthumously; flight PF04
4Peter SieboldSpaceShipTwo EnterpriseScaled CompositesFAA31 October 2014Honorary; flight PF04
5Mark StuckySpaceShipTwo EnterpriseVirgin GalacticFAA13 December 2018flight VP-03
6CJ SturckowSpaceShipTwo EnterpriseVirgin GalacticFAA13 December 2018First to hold both NASA and Commercial Astronaut wings
7David MackaySpaceShipTwo EnterpriseVirgin GalacticFAA22 February 2019First person born in Scotland to enter space; flight VF-01
8Michael MasucciSpaceShipTwo EnterpriseVirgin GalacticFAA22 February 2019flight VF-01
9Beth MosesSpaceShipTwo EnterpriseVirgin GalacticFAA22 February 2019First passenger, first woman ; flight VF-01
10Richard BransonSpaceShipTwo EnterpriseVirgin GalacticFAA11 July 202186 kilometers Founder of Virgin Galactic; Unity 22
11Colin BennettSpaceShipTwo EnterpriseVirgin GalacticFAA11 July 202186 kilometers Unity 22
12Sirisha BandlaSpaceShipTwo EnterpriseVirgin GalacticFAA11 July 202186 kilometers Unity 22
13Mark BezosNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA20 July 2021107 kilometers NS-16
14Jeff BezosNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA20 July 2021107 kilometers Founder of Blue Origin; NS-16
15Wally FunkNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA20 July 2021107 kilometers Member of the Mercury 13; NS-16
16Oliver DaemenNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA20 July 2021107 kilometers Currently the youngest person to have flown in space; NS-16
17Jared IsaacmanCrew DragonSpaceXFAA16 September 2021585 kilometers Shift4 Payments CEO; Inspiration4
18Sian ProctorCrew DragonSpaceXFAA16 September 2021585 kilometers First female commercial astronaut spaceship pilot. First African-American woman to pilot a spacecraft. First African-American artist in space. Inspiration4
19Hayley ArceneauxCrew DragonSpaceXFAA16 September 2021585 kilometers First astronaut with a prosthesis. Inspiration4
20Christopher SembroskiCrew DragonSpaceXFAA16 September 2021585 kilometers Inspiration4
21Audrey PowersNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA13 October 2021107 kilometers NS-18
22William ShatnerNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA13 October 2021107 kilometers Actor, currently the oldest person to have flown in space; NS-18
23Chris BoshuizenNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA13 October 2021107 kilometers NS-18
24Glen de VriesNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA13 October 2021107 kilometers NS-18
25Laura Shepard ChurchleyNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA11 December 2021107 kilometers Daughter of the first U.S. astronaut, Alan Shepard; NS-19
26Michael StrahanNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA11 December 2021107 kilometers NS-19
27Evan DickNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA11 December 2021107 kilometers NS-19
28Dylan TaylorNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA11 December 2021107 kilometers NS-19
29Cameron BessNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA11 December 2021107 kilometers First parent-child spaceflight, with Lane Bess; NS-19
30Lane BessNew ShepardBlue OriginFAA11 December 2021107 kilometers First parent-child spaceflight, with Cameron Bess; NS-19