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America's Trailblazing Black Astronaut Candidate Makes Space Debut After 60 Years

May 19, 2024 1 min read

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Ed Dwight, who made history as America's first Black astronaut candidate in the early 1960s, has achieved a long-awaited spaceflight at the age of 90. Dwight, a former U.S. Air Force pilot championed by President John F. Kennedy, was not ultimately selected for NASA's 1963 astronaut class, and the agency would not have a Black astronaut until 1978. His recent journey aboard the Blue Origin capsule, alongside five other passengers, marked the company's return to crewed launches after a hiatus due to a 2022 accident.

This voyage has placed Dwight in the record books as the oldest person to travel to space, surpassing the previous record held by actor William Shatner, who flew in 2021. The flight was made possible in part by sponsorship from the nonprofit Space for Humanity.

Following his military career, which ended in 1966, Dwight made significant contributions in other fields. He joined IBM, started a construction company, and then pursued a master's degree in sculpture. Dwight is renowned for his artistic work, which concentrates on Black history and includes various memorials and monuments across the United States.

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