Outer space used to be so white.
Dr. Guion Stewart “Guy” Bluford, Jr. (born November 22, 1942) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1964, he graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering from Penn State. Then, he joined the United States Air Force and received his pilot wings in 1966. While serving in the Vietnam War, he flew 144 combat missions. He received an M.S. in aerospace engineering in 1974 and a PhD in aerospace engineering in 1978. Being extremely well-educated in aerospace engineering isn’t why Guion Bluford made this list though. Well, actually, it kind of is.
In 1978, Bluford was selected by NASA to be an astronaut candidate. In 1979, he was chosen to be an astronaut. Bluford served as mission specialist on the STS-8 Challenger mission in 1983. This mission was notable because it was the first night launch and night landing. Also, on this mission, Guion Bluford became the first black American to reach outer space. Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez had become the first black person in space three years earlier. After STS-8, Bluford flew three more missions for a total of 688 hours in outer space.
For his contributions to Americans and black Americans, Bluford has earned nearly fifteen honorary doctorates and over fifty different awards or medals.
TL;DR
- In 1983, Guion Bluford served on the first NASA mission with a night launch and landing.
- On this mission, Bluford became the first black American to reach space and the second black person at all.
What You Should Do Now:
- Check out this Penn State interview with Bluford.
- Check out this great profile of Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.
28 Days of Inspirational Black People:
- Ed Brooke
- Blanche Bruce
- Andrew Young
- Denys Cowan
- Antoine Fuqua
- John Singleton
- Countee Cullen
- Dennis Kimetto
- Robert Hayden
- Lee Daniels
- Anthony Mackie/Falcon
- Val James
- Abebe Bikila
- Steve McQueen
- Ernest J. Gaines
- Charlie Sifford
- Matt Baker
- Black Panther
- A.G. Gaston
- Bradford Young
- Paul Laurence Dunbar