... Former astronauts are those who have left NASA, including those who are deceased. Astronaut . ... Former . ... Deceased . ... Bagian, James P. 1980 . ... 1978 . ... Brand, Vance D. 1966 . ... 1980 . ... Brown, David M. 1996 . ... Bursch, Daniel W. 1990 . ... A special category of astronauts typically titled payload specialist refers to individuals selected and trained by commercial or research organizations for flights of a specific payload on a space flight mission. Astronaut Fact Book . ...