Earlier this week Elon Musk of Space X accomplished the launch of his Tesla roadster into space on course for the asteroid belt beyond Mars. His Falcon Heavy rockets has the promise of lowering the cost of space launches because they are reusable, they also are said to be capable of sending space craft to the moon or Mars. Also think the launch that sent Musk's car into space is expected to be in near Mars orbit in 6 months. That rocket is very powerful.
Well I don't just want to talk about that. It's Black history month. Let's talk about Black astronauts.
To start the very first Black astronaut was a US Air Force test pilot named Robert Lawrence. Sadly he died over 50 years ago in a plane crash. While not officially part of NASA, he was part of a classified Air Force space program designed to spy on the old Soviet Union. It was said in that military.com article I linked to that he'd have flown in the space shuttle program had he not died in 1967.
Regardless Lawrence paved the way for Guion Bluford - who's name was mispelled by military.com. Bluford was the first Black to fly in space aboard the space shuttle. He first flew aboard space shuttle Challenger in 1983 and flew three more NASA missions until he retired from the space program in 1993.
After him was Chicago's own Mae Jemison who was the first Black woman in space flown aboard space shuttle Endeavor in 1992. She was a noted Star Trek fan having used Nichelle Nichols' Lt. Uhura as her inspiration for becoming an astronaut and thus was about to parlay this into an appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation as a transporter chief named Palmer. Jemison left the space program in 1993.
Finally, Charles Bolden was the first Black not only to command space shuttle missions the first aboard space shuttle Atlantis in 1992 also space shuttle Discovery in 1994. He also was appointed by Barack Obama as the administrator of NASA a role he served until just days before the inauguration of President Obama's successor in the White House Donald Trump. Bolden also flew on four shuttle missions in addition to the two he commanded.
Of course another point in Black history would've been the first Black on the International Space Station, alas she had been pulled last month from her historic flight. Jeanette Epps would've flown to the International Space Station in June however according to this Washington Post article she was pulled in favor of Serena Auñón-Chancellor who would become the first hispanic woman to live on a space station upon her flight in June
Including the previous three names of those Blacks who have flown shuttle missions fourteen Black Americans have flown into space so far. And for those of you dreaming about taking that trip to the moon or Mars you still have time to make Black history once those future spaceflights become reality. I would like to write about you when you do!
Well I don't just want to talk about that. It's Black history month. Let's talk about Black astronauts.
To start the very first Black astronaut was a US Air Force test pilot named Robert Lawrence. Sadly he died over 50 years ago in a plane crash. While not officially part of NASA, he was part of a classified Air Force space program designed to spy on the old Soviet Union. It was said in that military.com article I linked to that he'd have flown in the space shuttle program had he not died in 1967.
Regardless Lawrence paved the way for Guion Bluford - who's name was mispelled by military.com. Bluford was the first Black to fly in space aboard the space shuttle. He first flew aboard space shuttle Challenger in 1983 and flew three more NASA missions until he retired from the space program in 1993.
After him was Chicago's own Mae Jemison who was the first Black woman in space flown aboard space shuttle Endeavor in 1992. She was a noted Star Trek fan having used Nichelle Nichols' Lt. Uhura as her inspiration for becoming an astronaut and thus was about to parlay this into an appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation as a transporter chief named Palmer. Jemison left the space program in 1993.
Finally, Charles Bolden was the first Black not only to command space shuttle missions the first aboard space shuttle Atlantis in 1992 also space shuttle Discovery in 1994. He also was appointed by Barack Obama as the administrator of NASA a role he served until just days before the inauguration of President Obama's successor in the White House Donald Trump. Bolden also flew on four shuttle missions in addition to the two he commanded.
Of course another point in Black history would've been the first Black on the International Space Station, alas she had been pulled last month from her historic flight. Jeanette Epps would've flown to the International Space Station in June however according to this Washington Post article she was pulled in favor of Serena Auñón-Chancellor who would become the first hispanic woman to live on a space station upon her flight in June
Including the previous three names of those Blacks who have flown shuttle missions fourteen Black Americans have flown into space so far. And for those of you dreaming about taking that trip to the moon or Mars you still have time to make Black history once those future spaceflights become reality. I would like to write about you when you do!
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