Guion Bluford

Guion Bluford is an American aerospace engineer and former NASA astronaut who became the first African American to travel into space, aboard Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983.

STS-8: The 1983 Space Shuttle mission that carried Guion Bluford on his first flight into space. Bluford made history as the first African American in space on this mission.
Pennsylvania State University: A public research university in University Park, Pennsylvania. Bluford earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering there.
Robert Henry Lawrence Jr.: A United States Air Force pilot selected in 1967 as the first Black astronaut, who died before flying in space. Lawrence’s selection preceded Bluford’s spaceflight, but he never reached orbit.
African Americans in space: The history of African American participation in human spaceflight as astronauts and space professionals. Bluford’s 1983 flight marked a first within this broader history.
STS-61-A: The 1985 Spacelab D1 mission, the first Space Shuttle flight directed from outside the United States. Bluford served as a mission specialist on this international research flight.
United States Air Force Academy: A federal service academy in Colorado Springs that educates and commissions Air Force officers. Bluford completed pilot training after graduating from the Air Force Academy.
Mae Jemison: An American physician and NASA astronaut who became the first African American woman in space in 1992. Jemison followed Bluford as another African American pioneer in human spaceflight.
Representation in STEM: The presence and participation of people from different social groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Bluford’s visibility challenged expectations about who could become an astronaut and engineer.
STS-39: The 1991 Space Shuttle mission devoted to unclassified defense-related experiments and atmospheric research. Bluford flew as a mission specialist on this Department of Defense mission.
Vietnam War: A conflict in Southeast Asia from the 1950s to 1975 involving North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the United States. Bluford flew combat missions as an Air Force pilot during the war.

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Arnaldo Tamayo MéndezCompared with: Bluford’s later milestone is often compared with Tamayo’s earlier flight.