Somehow February went by like a flash, but here
at the Janet’s Planet Spacelog Blog, we didn’t want this month, which happens
to be Black History Month, to pass us by without honoring some of the amazing
African-American individuals who have contributed to our country’s space
program.
Never heard of Guion “Guy” Bluford, Jr.? He
happens to hold the title of the first African-American astronaut. Born in
Philadelpha in 1942, he was encouraged from a young age to value education,
attending Penn State University and also serving our country in the Air Force.
In 1978 Bluford learned he was among 35
astronaut candidates selected from over 10,000. He entered the Astronaut Training
Program and his first mission was STS-8, aboard the space shuttle Challenger.
After orbiting the earth 98 times, Bluford and the rest of his crew landed at
Edwards Air Force Base on Sept. 5, 1983.
Guion Bluford was inducted into the
International Space Hall of Fame in 1997 and still travels around, speaking to
young people about his experiences in space.
The first African-American woman in space was
Dr. Mae Jemison, back in 1992. Jemison was born in Alabama, but moved to
Chicago at an early age and attended Stanford University. Her first application
to NASA was turned down, but she was dedicated to succeed, applying again and
becoming one of the 15 candidates accepted from over 2,000 applicants.
Jemison served as the science mission
specialist on STS-47 Spacelab-J, a cooperative mission between the United
States and Japan. Her eight-day mission made 127 orbits of earth and allowed
her to log 190 hours, 30 minutes, and 23 seconds in space.
In addition to her career as a scientist and
astronaut, Jemison also served in the Peace Corps, traveling to countries such
as Sierra Leone and Liberia providing medical care and establishing health guidelines.
These are just two of the extraordinary African
Americans who have helped make the space program what it is today. We wanted to
take today’s post to honor them and hope it serves as a reminder for us all
that following our dreams can lead to exciting places!
Oh and by the way, Happy Leap Year! February
29, we’ll see you again in four years!
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