Guion Bluford Jr.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 22, 1942, Guion ‘Guy’ Bluford Jr. is an aerospace engineer, a former NASA astronaut as well as a retired United States Air Force officer and fighter pilot.
Bluford broke barriers during his time at NASA by becoming the first African American in space. Keep in mind that at a certain point in time in his career, he simultaneously worked at NASA and served in the United States Air Force subsequently rising to the rank of Colonel.
In August 1979, Bluford was selected to be a NASA astronaut after becoming the preferred choice out of over a thousand candidates. Between 1983 and 1992, he successfully partook in four space shuttle flights.
STS-8, which was the eighth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the third flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger was Bluford’s first mission as an astronaut. It was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 30, 1983. This incredible feat made him the first African American to go to space.
