In 1983, Guion Bluford became the first African American to fly into space when he went into orbit on board the Space Shuttle Challenger. The first African American astronaut was actually Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. He never had the opportunity to travel into space, however; in 1967 — just a few months after being selected by NASA for astronaut training — he was killed in a plane crash. Bluford was also only the second black person to fly into space. The first individual in this category was Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez, who made it into space in 1980 as part of the Soviet Union’s Soyuz 38 mission.
Bluford was born in Philadelphia on November 22, 1942. He developed a strong interest in airplanes early on in life and, by the time he graduated from Overbrook High School in Philadelphia in 1960, decided to pursue a career as an aerospace engineer. Bluford attended Pennsylvania State University and, as a cadet in the ROTC unit there, learned how to fly and earned a private pilot’s license.
When he graduated in 1964 with a B.S. in aerospace engineering, Bluford also received a commission in the U.S. Air Force (USAF). He subsequently received military pilot training at Williams Air Force in Arizona. In 1966, Bluford earned his USAF pilot wings. He ultimately logged more than 5,200 hours of jet flight time in various types of military aircraft. These hours included 1,300 as an instructor. Bluford’s other airborne accomplishments included receiving a Federal Aviation Administration commercial pilot license.
Along with earning an undergraduate degree, Bluford received an M.S. in aerospace engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 1974; a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering (with a minor in laser physics) from AFIT in 1978; and an MBA from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1987. Bluford has also studied at the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania.
In January 1978, a new chapter in Bluford’s career began when he was selected for the NASA astronaut program. He officially completed his training as an astronaut in August of the following year.
Bluford’s first journey into space — and a pioneering one for African American astronauts — involved serving as a member of the crew on the mission STS-8. This mission began with the launch of Challenger on August 30, 1983, and ended with that space shuttle’s return to Earth six days later. Bluford eventually took part in three more missions into space. These expeditions were STS-61-A in 1985 (again on Challenger); STS-39 in 1991 (on the Space Shuttle Discovery); and STS-53 in 1992 (again on Discovery). As a result of all four of those missions combined, Bluford logged over 688 hours in space.
In 1993, Bluford resigned from both NASA and the USAF to assume the position of vice president and general manager of the engineering services division of the technology company NYMA, Inc. Four years later, he became vice president of the aerospace sector of Federal Data Corporation. Bluford went on to serve as vice president of microgravity research and development at the Northrup Grumman Corporation starting in 2000. He founded the Aerospace Technology Group two years later and has since led that that consulting firm as its president.
Over the years, Bluford has been the recipient of a wide range of awards. These have included the USAF Command Pilot Astronaut Wings; Air Force Commendation Medal; Vietnam Service Medal; NASA Exceptional Service Medal; National Society of Black Engineers Distinguished National Scientist Award; Ebony Black Achievement Award; NAACP Image Award; and New York City Urban League’s Whitney Young Memorial Award.
Bluford’s other honors to date have included being inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997; the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010; and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2021, a building on the main campus of Pennsylvania State University was formally named after him.
Photo Credit: Public Domain
For more information on Guion Bluford, please check out https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/bluford_guion.pdf?emrc=28161f and https://nationalaviation.org/enshrinee/guion-guy-s-bluford-jr/
Transportation History 
Leave a comment