What is an astrowright?

Two NASA astronauts participate in construction and maintenance activities outside the International Space Station; 21 May 2010. Credit: NASA

So, what does “astrowright” really mean?

To me, the word represents a little more than an astronaut.

If we take the word apart literally, ”astro” relates (obviously) to stars, celestial objects, or outer space, and ”wright,” in its archaic form, means, “a maker or builder.”  (Think “playwright.”)

So, I see an astrowright as:

A person whose creations and/or work directly relate to space and space exploration.

This means astronauts, spacecraft manufacturers, mission control specialists, space scientists, astrobiologists, planetary geologists, and any others who have a hand in working beyond Earth could all be reasonably called astrowrights.  Further still, artists, designers, writers, and journalists who desire to perform their craft in space could also be considered astrowrights.

And there’s something else.  Perhaps it’s just an artifact of English or a latent personal impression, but as a meme, it sounds to me as though an astronaut is a person who wants to go to space – a person in the act of traveling – a star sailor.

An astrowright, on the other hand, sounds to my ear like someone who wants to be in space – to work there – a star builder.   -Perhaps even to stay.