{"id":80035,"date":"2021-08-30T11:53:36","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T15:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=80035"},"modified":"2021-08-30T11:54:12","modified_gmt":"2021-08-30T15:54:12","slug":"on-this-day-dr-guion-bluford-became-1st-african-american-in-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/on-this-day-dr-guion-bluford-became-1st-african-american-in-space.html","title":{"rendered":"On This Day: Dr. Guion Bluford Became 1st African American in Space"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 30 August 1983, Dr. Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. became the first African American in space, as a member of the crew of the space shuttle Challenger<\/em>. An aerospace engineer, an officer in the U.S. Air Force, and a former fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, Bluford ended up flying on four space shuttle flights \u2013 perhaps none as important as his historic first one.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: on Challenger\u2019s middeck, Mission Specialist Guion Bluford, restrained by harness and wearing blood pressure cuff on his left arm, exercises on the treadmill, 5 September 1983. Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bluford\u2019s historic first flight into space was a great success \u2013 but it almost was a disaster. The 1983 mission he flew on, STS-8 from 30 August to 5 September, was the eighth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the third flight of the Challenger<\/em>. In addition to carrying the first African American into space, STS-8 was the first Space Shuttle night launch, and six days later became the first night landing. It successfully released a satellite from India into orbit, and conducted several scientific experiments.<\/p>\n

Just hours before its launch, however, the Challenger<\/em> was almost struck by lightning from a severe thunderstorm.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: a powerful electrical storm created an eerie tapestry of light in the skies near Complex 39A in the hours preceding the launch of Challenger on mission STS-8 at 2:32 a.m. EDT, 30 August 1983. Driving rains and the dazzling lightning display ceased after this photograph was taken by a remote camera set up by Sam Walton of United Press International and mission officials were able to proceed with the launch. Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As if the near-lightning strike wasn\u2019t hazard enough, NASA discovered, after Challenger<\/em> returned, that the launch had almost been a catastrophe: a solid-fuel rocket booster had nearly malfunctioned, which would have created a huge explosion.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the two near-disasters did not harm or stop the mission, and STS-8 returned safely on 5 September having successfully accomplished its satellite launch and its round of experiments.<\/p>\n

On top of that, history had been made: the first African American in space. The nation\u2019s newspapers were quick to note Bluford\u2019s achievement, as in this example.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Marietta Journal (Marietta, Georgia), 31 August 1983, page 19<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here is a transcription of this article:<\/p>\n

Blacks Are Proud of Bluford and Hope He\u2019ll Be Example<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Elaine S. Povich
\nUnited Press International<\/p>\n

Proud black leaders found inspiration for themselves and their children in today\u2019s flight of the first American black in space, but some were distressed that it took more than 20 years to happen.<\/p>\n

Guion Bluford, a 40-year-old Air Force pilot with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, became the first U.S. black in space with the liftoff of Challenger. The honor of being the first black in space belongs to a Cuban [Arnaldo Tamayo M\u00e9ndez] who was sent up a few years ago by the Soviets.<\/p>\n

The Rev. Joseph Lowery, head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said Bluford\u2019s flight would spur interest among blacks in the engineering fields, but not necessarily in the military.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt should encourage young blacks who have scientific interests to pursue them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bluford is a Philadelphia native, a Pennsylvania State University graduate, father of two children and a veteran of 144 combat missions during the Vietnam War. He joined NASA in 1978.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important whenever there\u2019s a breakthrough where blacks are concerned,\u201d said Coretta Scott King, fresh from the 20th<\/sup> anniversary rally for Martin Luther King\u2019s historic march on Washington.<\/p>\n

But she worried technical knowledge gained in the space program might be used \u201cfor more military buildup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young said: \u201cIf it helps black youth to study their math, it will be worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bluford himself is shy about the landmark.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see it as an historical event in the sense that I\u2019m opening the doors for the other people behind me,\u201d he said in a recent interview. \u201cI recognize the importance of that, but I also recognize I\u2019ll be one of the many others who will be flying in space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walter Fauntroy, the District of Columbia\u2019s delegate to Congress, said, \u201cIt\u2019s an inspiration to black young people. It is another vista that opens up to them if they apply themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the flight of a black American in space is long overdue, but added, \u201cWe welcome it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Rev. George Clements, a Catholic priest, said since so many black youngsters live in single-parent homes, Bluford\u2019s flight \u201cwill have an extremely positive effect\u201d because black \u201cfather-figures are extremely important.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the 51-year-old Clements added, \u201cI think that virtually everything that happens to black people happens late.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note:<\/em><\/strong> An online collection of newspapers, such as GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, is not only a great way to learn about the lives of your ancestors \u2013 the old newspaper articles also help you understand American history and the times your ancestors lived in, and the news they talked about and read in their local papers. The same is true of more recent news.<\/p>\n

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