Soviet cosmonaut

A Soviet cosmonaut was an astronaut trained and selected by the Soviet Union (later Russia) to fly into space. They participated in missions to explore, study, and develop space technology during the space race era. Cosmonauts underwent rigorous physical and technical training to operate spacecraft, conduct experiments, and perform extravehicular activities. Their efforts contributed to scientific understanding and international competition in space exploration. The term "cosmonaut" is specific to Russian space travelers and is equivalent to "astronaut" used by the United States and other countries.