Human spaceflight is one of the most exciting professional fields today. Those who work in it are pioneers of an endless frontier filled with challenges, adventure, and scientific discovery. Although being an astronaut is the career most commonly associated with human spaceflight, that position accounts for only a small proportion of the jobs in the field. From engineers and physicians to web designers and educators, human spaceflight has career opportunities for anyone who is fascinated by the final frontier.

There are three categories of astronauts: commander/pilot, mission specialist, and payload specialist. Eileen Collins became the first female commander of a space shuttle, the Columbia, in 1999.

Human Spaceflight in the Twenty-First Century

Most human spaceflight activity is concentrated in the United States and Russia. Only these two nations have launched people into space, although China is testing a craft that will be capable of...