First Black Person In Space
Is an american aerospace engineer retired u s.
First black person in space. Often told people he didn t join nasa just to become the first black man to fly to orbit but of course that was part of his story. He served in the air force until his astronaut selection in 1978 as a space shuttle astronaut. Astronaut on january 5 2016 nasa announced that epps would become the first african american space station crew member when she launched on her would be first spaceflight in may 2018 as a flight engineer on expedition 56 remaining on board for expedition 57.
Guy bluford became the first african american in space on aug. Air force lieutenant colonel guion s. 30 1983 aboard the challenger on nasa s eight space shuttle mission sts 8.
Air force officer and fighter pilot and former nasa astronaut who is the first african american and the second person of african descent to go to space. Bluford becomes the first african american to travel into space when the space shuttle challenger lifts off on its third mission. Before becoming an astronaut he was an officer in the u s.
With multiple degrees in aerospace engineering bluford was chosen to participate in the nasa astronaut training program in 1978 and became the first black person in space as a crew member of the. America s first african american in space brought out crowds of people to watch as he embarked on a history making flight to space on august 30 1983. Nasa did not launch the first black person into space the soviet union beat the us space agency by three years.
He participated in four space shuttle flights between 1983 and 1992. It was the first night. Air force where he remained while assigned to nasa rising to the rank of colonel.
Guion stewart bluford jr. Frederick gregory 1941 became the first african american to pilot a spacecraft when he launched aboard the space shuttle challenger on april 29 1985. Updated january 19 2018.