Definition of the word space cadet

The term "space cadet" originated in the late 1950s as a humorous derogatory insult aimed at members of the United States Air Force's space programs. At that time, many people were skeptical about the feasibility of space travel, and some saw the ambitious space programs as unrealistic and fantastical, akin to the old sci-fi tropes of futuristic space academies. The term was popularized by the satirical Mad Magazine, which used the phrase "space cadet" to refer to the foolish and naive individuals who were pursuing these far-fetched dreams. The magazine published a series of cartoons featuring "Major Zero Gravity" and his cadets, complete with Wall-E-esque space suits and mock technology, which further perpetuated the ridiculousness of the term. However, the term also had a more serious origin. In 1959, the United States Air Force established a training program for future astronauts called the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory (AMRL). The trainees were called "space cadets," a term that the AMRL itself borrowed from the Canadian Royal Military College, which used it to describe their trainees in the Royal Canadian Air Force. In essence, the term "space cadet" originated as a joke and a jab at the unpopularity of space programs, but it ended up being adopted by the air force, giving the term some legitimacy. Today, the term "space cadet" is still sometimes used in a lighthearted way, although it's become more associated with science fiction than with actual astronauts.