How to Address an Astronaut

How to Address an Astronaut

There is no personal rank granted and no special honorific used when directly addressing an astronaut. A civilian astronaut is correctly addressed as ‘Mr./Ms./Dr. (Name)’ and identified as an astronaut after the name. Many astronauts are or have been military officers and thus are addressed by rank in retirement.

—-Envelope, letter’s address block on Email:
—-—-Mr./Ms./etc. (Full name)
—-—-(Address)

—-—-Dr. (Full name)
—-—-(Address)

—-—-(Full Rank) (Full Name) (Post-nominal for Branch of Service)
—-—-(Address)

—-—-(Full Rank) (Full name) (Post-nominal for Branch of Service), Retired
—-—-(Address)

 

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”

How to Address an Former Astronaut?

What is the proper way to address a former astronaut?  In California a former astronaut is running for Congress. Is he or is he not allowed to call himself ‘Astronaut (Name)’ in his campaign literature if he is not currently an astronaut?
– Brian K. in California

Dear Brian K.,

Promoting  yourself in a political campaign ‘Astronaut (Name)’ is odd, but I’d put it in the category as strange rather than breaking some rule.

—-#1) Being an astronaut is like being a chef, teacher, shepherd or lifeguard: it is a job one holds – in this case – held. None of these roles is formally used as a part of one’s name. In the media you will read and hear:

—-—-“Lifeguard Steve Thompson suggests …”

—-—-“According to Chef Neville there is a trend …”

—-—-“Football Coach Wilson says …”

—-Each of these is descriptive form – not formally a form of address.  All would be in writing ‘Mr./Ms. (Full Name)’ or orally ‘Mr./Ms. (Surname)’ in formal address.

—-#2) As with a current astronaut, there is no personal rank granted and no special honorific used when directly addressing an astronaut.  A civilian astronaut is correctly addressed as ‘Mr./Ms./Dr. (Name)’ and identified as an astronaut after the name.  Many astronauts are or have been military officers and thus are addressed by rank in retirement.

—-#3) If you are looking for a precedent, Department of Defense (DoD) guidelines suggest it would be inappropriate for a retired officer to use his/her rank as part of his/her name in a campaign for public office. But that falls apart a bit because even a current astronaut was not formally addressed as ‘Astronaut (Name)’.

—-#4) If he’s no longer in the NASA program (which you seem to say he is not) perhaps most accurately he would be identified in writing or in an introduction as a ‘Mr./Ms./Dr. (Full Name)”, candidate for XYZ was a member of a NASA (name of mission) astronaut’.

– Robert Hickey

 

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”

When Should You Use the Forms on this Page?

You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing a letter, invitation, card or Email. (If there are differences between the official and social forms of address, I will have mentioned the different forms.)  The form noted in the salutation is the same form you say when you say their name in conversation or when you greet them.
___What I don’t cover on this site are many things I do cover in my book: all the rules of forms of address, about names, international titles, precedence, complimentary closes, details on invitations, place cards, all sorts of introductions, etc. I hope you’ll get a copy of the book if you’d like the further detail.

Not Finding Your Answer?

—-#1)  At right on desktops, at the bottom of every page on tablets and phones, is a list of all the offices, officials & topics covered on the site.

—-#2)  If you don’t see the official you seek included or your question answered send me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day or so (unless I am traveling.)  Note: I don’t have mailing or Email addresses for any of the officials and I don’t keep track of offices that exist only in history books.

—-#3)  If I think your question is of interest to others, Sometimes I post the question  – but always change all the specifics.

— Robert Hickey 

 

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”