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On August 30, 1983, Guion Bluford became first African-American astronaut in space. From the article:
"Guion Bluford: First African-American in Space
Guion "Guy" Bluford is a former NASA astronaut who was the first African-American to fly into space. He flew four shuttle missions.
Bluford's class of astronauts from 1978 included two other African-Americans: Ron McNair (who later died on the space shuttle Challenger in 1986) and Fred Gregory (who after flying in space, went on to become a NASA deputy administrator.)
"All of us knew that one of us would eventually step into that role," Bluford later told NASA about being the first. "I probably told people that I would probably prefer not being in that role ... because I figured being the No. 2 guy would probably be a lot more fun."
'I laughed and giggled all the way up'
Bluford's first flight — STS-8 aboard Challenger — soared into space on a rainy August morning in 1983. Thirty years later, Bluford joked he was surprised anyone bothered to show up given the terrible weather.
"People came from all over to watch this launch because I was flying," Bluford said in a 2013 interview with NASA. "I imagined them, all standing out there at 1:00 in the morning with their umbrellas, all asking the same question, 'Why am I standing here?' "
Launch, however, was a memorable moment. The crew listened to audio of the ascent after they returned to Earth and discovered that somebody was laughing as they went into space.
"We listened to it for quite a while to try and figure out who that was, only to come to the conclusion that it was me. I mean, I laughed and giggled all the way up. It was such a fun ride," Bluford added.
Bluford deployed the Indian National Satellite (INSAT-1B) while in orbit. Other activities of the STS-8 crew included putting the Canadarm robotic arm through its paces and several experiments to see how space affects the human body, among other milestones. The shuttle landed safely Sept. 5, 1983. Bluford, however, was just getting started.
German first
In the next decade, Bluford would fly three more times as a mission specialist aboard NASA space shuttles. His next mission — STS-61A, also aboard Challenger, in late 1985 — was so packed with things to do that Bluford's shift often needed help from other crew members to fix meals. The eight crewmembers were doing the first Spacelab mission, which was partially run under the German Space Operations Center — another first for NASA.
"After the mission, [the Germans] invited us and our wives to Germany to attend a technical conference highlighting the results of our mission," Bluford recalled in a 2004 oral interview.
"It was a proud moment for all of us as we learned the results of some of the experiments that we performed during flight. The trip also gave me an opportunity to tour Europe with the wife and show her some of the sights that I had seen while training there."
Discs, defense and retirement
Flights were interrupted after the Challenger explosion of 1986, and resumed in 1988. Bluford was next assigned to STS-39, aboard Discovery, in 1991, but a herniated disc just four months before the original March launch date (later pushed to April) threatened his status on board.
"The NASA flight surgeons grounded me and indicated that I would need an operation to correct the problem," Bluford recalled. "There was some concern from the training folks that I might not be able to complete the training syllabus in time for the flight. [Commander] Mike Coats altered some of the responsibilities on the crew, so that I could be operated on and still make the flight."
Bluford indeed made it, taking part in a mission that "gathered aurora, Earth-limb, celestial, and shuttle environment data with the AFP-675 payload," among other tasks, NASA stated in his biography.
Bluford's last flight in December 1992 was primarily to release a classified payload for the Department of Defense. The U.S. government initially directed DOD to put more of its satellites on the space shuttle, but that changed after the Challenger explosion. DOD, however, still had a few flights left on the manifest — with STS-53, aboard Discovery — representing the last one.
After landing, Bluford said he "had to seriously decide" what to do next, and felt it was time to leave the astronaut corps. He accepted a job offer in the private sector, but maintained some ties to the space program. Notably, he worked with the Columbia Accident Investigation Board that examined the fatal breakup of space shuttle Columbia in 2003.
Since 2002, Bluford has been president and founder of The Aerospace Technology Group. On his LinkedIn profile, Bluford says the consulting firm "provides engineering support, business development, risk assessment, and engineering analysis in the development and application of innovative aerospace technologies to support government and industry needs."
He also periodically gives public talks, such as one he gave at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2016 on flying in space, as part of a speakers' series on "how contributions from diverse scientists and thinkers can solve complex problems," according to the university."
"Guion Bluford: First African-American in Space
Guion "Guy" Bluford is a former NASA astronaut who was the first African-American to fly into space. He flew four shuttle missions.
Bluford's class of astronauts from 1978 included two other African-Americans: Ron McNair (who later died on the space shuttle Challenger in 1986) and Fred Gregory (who after flying in space, went on to become a NASA deputy administrator.)
"All of us knew that one of us would eventually step into that role," Bluford later told NASA about being the first. "I probably told people that I would probably prefer not being in that role ... because I figured being the No. 2 guy would probably be a lot more fun."
'I laughed and giggled all the way up'
Bluford's first flight — STS-8 aboard Challenger — soared into space on a rainy August morning in 1983. Thirty years later, Bluford joked he was surprised anyone bothered to show up given the terrible weather.
"People came from all over to watch this launch because I was flying," Bluford said in a 2013 interview with NASA. "I imagined them, all standing out there at 1:00 in the morning with their umbrellas, all asking the same question, 'Why am I standing here?' "
Launch, however, was a memorable moment. The crew listened to audio of the ascent after they returned to Earth and discovered that somebody was laughing as they went into space.
"We listened to it for quite a while to try and figure out who that was, only to come to the conclusion that it was me. I mean, I laughed and giggled all the way up. It was such a fun ride," Bluford added.
Bluford deployed the Indian National Satellite (INSAT-1B) while in orbit. Other activities of the STS-8 crew included putting the Canadarm robotic arm through its paces and several experiments to see how space affects the human body, among other milestones. The shuttle landed safely Sept. 5, 1983. Bluford, however, was just getting started.
German first
In the next decade, Bluford would fly three more times as a mission specialist aboard NASA space shuttles. His next mission — STS-61A, also aboard Challenger, in late 1985 — was so packed with things to do that Bluford's shift often needed help from other crew members to fix meals. The eight crewmembers were doing the first Spacelab mission, which was partially run under the German Space Operations Center — another first for NASA.
"After the mission, [the Germans] invited us and our wives to Germany to attend a technical conference highlighting the results of our mission," Bluford recalled in a 2004 oral interview.
"It was a proud moment for all of us as we learned the results of some of the experiments that we performed during flight. The trip also gave me an opportunity to tour Europe with the wife and show her some of the sights that I had seen while training there."
Discs, defense and retirement
Flights were interrupted after the Challenger explosion of 1986, and resumed in 1988. Bluford was next assigned to STS-39, aboard Discovery, in 1991, but a herniated disc just four months before the original March launch date (later pushed to April) threatened his status on board.
"The NASA flight surgeons grounded me and indicated that I would need an operation to correct the problem," Bluford recalled. "There was some concern from the training folks that I might not be able to complete the training syllabus in time for the flight. [Commander] Mike Coats altered some of the responsibilities on the crew, so that I could be operated on and still make the flight."
Bluford indeed made it, taking part in a mission that "gathered aurora, Earth-limb, celestial, and shuttle environment data with the AFP-675 payload," among other tasks, NASA stated in his biography.
Bluford's last flight in December 1992 was primarily to release a classified payload for the Department of Defense. The U.S. government initially directed DOD to put more of its satellites on the space shuttle, but that changed after the Challenger explosion. DOD, however, still had a few flights left on the manifest — with STS-53, aboard Discovery — representing the last one.
After landing, Bluford said he "had to seriously decide" what to do next, and felt it was time to leave the astronaut corps. He accepted a job offer in the private sector, but maintained some ties to the space program. Notably, he worked with the Columbia Accident Investigation Board that examined the fatal breakup of space shuttle Columbia in 2003.
Since 2002, Bluford has been president and founder of The Aerospace Technology Group. On his LinkedIn profile, Bluford says the consulting firm "provides engineering support, business development, risk assessment, and engineering analysis in the development and application of innovative aerospace technologies to support government and industry needs."
He also periodically gives public talks, such as one he gave at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2016 on flying in space, as part of a speakers' series on "how contributions from diverse scientists and thinkers can solve complex problems," according to the university."
Guion Bluford: First African-American in Space
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An Evening with Guion Bluford - March 5, 2010
An evening with Guion Bluford, the first black astronaut in space and nephew of Lucile Bluford.
Thank you my friend SGT (Join to see) for making us aware that on August 30, 1983, Guion S. Bluford, Jr. became first African-American astronaut in space, Vietnam War fighter pilot, husband and father.
Kudos to USAF Col retired Guion 'Guy' Stewart Bluford, Jr PHD.
An Evening with Guion Bluford - March 5, 2010
An evening with Guion Bluford, the first black astronaut in space and nephew of Lucile Bluford.
https://youtu.be/nfvspy9zfVo?t=995
Images:
1. Official portrait of astronaut Guion S. Bluford. Bluford, a member of Astronaut Class 8 and the United States Air Force (USAF), poses in his launch and entry suit
2. Astronaut Guion S. Bluford and Aviation Safety Officer Charles F. Hayes get a unique perspective of the environment during a 1979 zero gravity flight.
3. On Challenger's middeck, Mission Specialist Guion Guy Bluford, assists Dr. William E. Thornton (out of frame) with a medical test that requires use of the treadmill exercise.
4. Retired Colonel and Astronaut Guion S Bluford with his wife Linda and sons Guion III and James on vacation in Antigua in 1978.
Biographies:
1. er.jsc.nasa.gov
2. thehistorymakers.org/biography/guion-bluford]
1. Background from {[https://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/bluford.htm]}
NAME: Guion S. Bluford, Jr. (Colonel, USAF)
NASA Astronaut
PERSONAL DATA: Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 22, 1942.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Black hair; brown eyes; 6 feet; 180 pounds.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Overbrook Senior High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1960; received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 1964; a master of science degree with distinction in aerospace engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1974; a doctor of philosophy in aerospace engineering with a minor in laser physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1978, and a master in business administration from the University of Houston, Clear Lake, in 1987.
MARITAL STATUS: Married to the former Linda Tull of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
CHILDREN: Guion Stewart III, June 12, 1964; James Trevor, October 25, 1965.
RECREATIONAL INTERESTS:
His hobbies include reading, swimming, jogging, racquetball, handball, and scuba.
ORGANIZATIONS:
Associate Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and member of the Air Force Association, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Iota Epsilon, National Technical Association, and Tuskegee Airmen.
SPECIAL HONORS:
Presented the Leadership Award of Phi Delta Kappa (1962); the National Defense Service Medal (1965); Vietnam Campaign Medal (1967); Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm (1967); Vietnam Service Medal (1967); 10 Air Force Air Medals (1967); 3 Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards (1967, 1970, 1972); the Germany Air Force Aviation Badge from the Federal Republic of West Germany (1969); T-38 Instructor Pilot of the Month (1970); Air Training Command Outstanding Flight Safety Award (1970); an Air Force Commendation Medal (1972); the Air Force Institute of Technology's Mervin E. Gross Award (1974); Who's Who Among Black Americans 1975-1977; an Air Force Meritorious Service Award (1978); National Society of Black Engineers Distinguished National Scientist Award (1979); two NASA Group Achievement Awards (1980 and 1981); the Pennsylvania State University Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award (1983), and Alumni Fellows Award (1986), USAF Command Pilot Astronaut Wings (1983), NASA Space Flight Medal (1983, 1985, & 1991), Ebony Black Achievement Award (1983), NAACP Image Award (1983), Who's Who in America (1983), Pennsylvania's Distinguished Service Medal (1984), Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the New York City Urban League's Whitney Young Memorial Award, the 1991 Black Engineer of the Year Award, and honorary doctorate degrees from Florida A & M University, Texas Southern University, Virginia State University, Morgan State University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Tuskegee Institute, Bowie State College, Thomas Jefferson University, Chicago State University, Georgian Court College, and Drexel University.
EXPERIENCE:
Bluford graduated from Penn State University in 1964 as a distinguished Air Force ROTC graduate.
He attended pilot training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, and received his pilot wings in January 1966. He then went to F-4C combat crew training in Arizona and Florida and was assigned to the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. He flew 144 combat missions, 65 of which were over North Vietnam.
In July 1967, he was assigned to the 3,630th Flying Training Wing, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, as a T-38A instructor pilot. He served as a standardization/evaluation officer and as an assistant flight commander. In early 1971, he attended Squadron Officers School and returned as an executive support officer to the Deputy Commander of Operations and as School Secretary for the Wing.
In August 1972, he entered the Air Force Institute of Technology residency school at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Upon graduating in 1974, he was assigned to the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, as a staff development engineer. He served as deputy for advanced concepts for the Aeromechanics Division and as branch chief of the Aerodynamics and Airframe Branch in the Laboratory. Bluford has written and presented several scientific papers in the area of computational fluid dynamics.
He has logged over 5,100 hours jet flight time in the T-33, T-37, T-38, F-4C, F-15, U-2/TR-1, and F-5A/B, including 1,300 hours as a T-38 instructor pilot. He also has an FAA commercial pilot license.
NASA EXPERIENCE:
Bluford became a NASA astronaut in August 1979. His technical assignments have included working with the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), Spacelab-3 experiments, Space Shuttle systems, verifying flight software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) and the Flight Systems Laboratory (FSL), and serving as the Astronaut Office point of contact for generic Spacelab and Shuttle External Tank issues. A veteran of three space flights, Bluford was a mission specialist on STS-8 in 1983, STS 61-A in 1985, and STS-39 in 1991.
Bluford's first mission was STS-8, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 30, 1983. This was the third flight for the Orbiter Challenger and the first mission with a night launch and night landing. During the mission, the STS-8 crew deployed the Indian National Satellite (INSAT-1B); operated the Canadian-built RMS with the Payload Flight Test Article (PFTA); operated the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) with live cell samples; conducted medical measurements to understand biophysiological effects on space flight; and activated various earth resources and space science experiments along with four "Getaway Special" canisters. STS-8 completed 98 orbits of the Earth in 145 hours before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 5, 1983.
On STS 61-A, the German D-1 Spacelab mission, the crew on board the Orbiter Challenger launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 30, 1985. This mission was the first to carry eight crew members, the largest crew to fly in space ans included three European payload specialists. This was the first dedicated Spacelab mission under the direction of the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DFVLR) and the first U.S. mission in which payload control was transferred to a foreign country (German Space Operations Center, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany). During the mission, the Global Low Orbiting Message Relay Satellite (GLOMR) was deployed from a "Getaway Special" (GAS) container, and 76 experiments were performed in Spacelab in such fields as fluid physics, materials processing, life sciences, and navigation. The experimental test facilities used included melting, solidification, and crystal growing furnaces, facilities for the observation of fluid physics phenomena, chambers to provide specific environmental conditions for biological samples, and a vestibular sled. After completing 111 orbits of the Earth in 169 hours, Challenger landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on November 6, 1985.
Bluford also served on the crew of STS-39, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on April 28, 1991, aboard the Orbiter, Discovery. The crew gathered aurora, Earth-limb, celestial, and Shuttle environment data with the AFP-675 payload. This payload consisted of the Cryogenic infrared Radiance Instrumentation for Shuttle (CIRRIS-1A) experiment, Far Ultraviolet Camera experiment (FAR UV), the Uniformly Redundant Array (URA), the Quadruple Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (QINMS), and the Horizon Ultraviolet Program (HUP) experiment. The crew also deployed and retrieved the Spas-II with the RMS. The Spas-II carried the Infrared Background Signature Survey (IBSS) experiment, which collected Shuttle exhaust plume, Earthlimb, Earthscan, aurora, chemical/gas release and celestial data. The crew also operated the Space Test Payload-1 (STP-1) and deployed a classified payload from the Multi-Purpose Experiment Canister (MPEC). After completing 134 orbits of the Earth and 199 hours in space, Discovery landed at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on May 6, 1991.
More recently, Bluford served on the crew of STS-53 which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on December 2, 1992. The crew of five deployed the classified Department of Defense payload DOD-1 and then performed several Military-Man-in-Space and NASA experiments. After completing 115 orbits of the Earth in 175 hours, Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 9, 1992.
With the completion of his fourth flight, Bluford has logged over 688 hours in space.
Bluford left NASA in July 1993 to take the post of Vice President/General Manager, Engineering Services Division, NYMA Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland."
2. Background from {[https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/guion-bluford]}
Guion Stewart Bluford
Information about Guion Stewart Bluford
Interview Date May 9, 2013
Profession; Occupation(s): Astronaut; Military Officer
Favorites
Favorite Color: Beige
Favorite Food: Steak, Lobster
Favorite Time of Year: Summer
Favorite Quote: Do what you love and love what you do.
Birth date and place
Born: 11/22/1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Biography
NASA astronaut, aerospace engineer, military officer, and senior engineering executive, Guion S. Bluford Jr. was born on November 22, 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the eldest of three sons of Guion Bluford, Sr., a mechanical engineer, and Lolita Bluford, a special education teacher. Bluford graduated from Overbrook Senior High School in 1960 and went on to graduate from Pennsylvania State University in 1964 with his B.S. degree in aerospace engineering. He was also a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force ROTC program and received his commission as an Air Force second lieutenant. Bluford graduated from the Air Force Institute of Technology with his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in aerospace engineering in 1974 and 1978, respectively. In 1987, Bluford received his M.B.A. degree in management from the University of Houston at Clear Lake.
After receiving his Air Force pilot wings, Bluford was assigned to the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. As an F4C fighter pilot, he flew 144 combat missions in Southeast Asia. From 1967 to 1972, he was a T-38 instructor pilot at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas where he trained future U.S. Air Force and West German fighter pilots. Upon graduating from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1974, Bluford was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory as Deputy for Advanced Concepts in the Aeromechanics Division and then as Branch Chief of the Aerodynamics and Airframe Branch. In 1978, Bluford was selected for the astronaut program and was officially designated a NASA astronaut one year later. In 1983, he became the first African American to fly in space and the first to receive the U.S. Air Force Command Pilot Astronaut Wings. Bluford was also the first African American to return to space a second, third, and fourth time when he flew on STS-61A in 1985, STS-39 in 1991, and STS-53 in 1992. He has logged more than 688 hours in space.
In 1993, he retired from NASA and the United States Air Force to become the Vice President/General Manager of the Engineering Services Division of NYMA Inc. He led the research support effort in aeropropulsion, satellite systems, microgravity and advanced materials. In 1997, he became the Vice President of the Aerospace Sector of the Federal Data Corporation and led the company’s NASA business. Finally, in 2000, Bluford became the Vice President of Microgravity R&D and Operation for Northrop Grumman Corporation and led the industry team in the development of two experiment facilities currently on the International Space Station. Today, Bluford is the President of the Aerospace Technology Group in Cleveland, Ohio.
Bluford has been awarded the Department of Defense Superior Service and Meritorious Service Medals; the Air Force Legion of Merit and Meritorious Service Medal; the NASA Distinguished Service and Exceptional Service Medals; the Pennsylvania Distinguished Service Medal; the 1991 Black Engineer of the Year Award and fourteen honorary doctorate degrees. He was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997 and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010
Guion Stewart Bluford, Jr. was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on May 9, 2013."
FYI COL (Join to see) COL Charles Williams LTC (Join to see) LTC Greg Henning LTC Wayne Brandon MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Sgt (Join to see) SMSgt Lawrence McCarter MSgt Robert "Rock" Aldi GySgt Thomas Vick SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM MSG Felipe De Leon Brown MSG Andrew White SSG Robert Mark Odom PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Capt Dwayne Conyers
Kudos to USAF Col retired Guion 'Guy' Stewart Bluford, Jr PHD.
An Evening with Guion Bluford - March 5, 2010
An evening with Guion Bluford, the first black astronaut in space and nephew of Lucile Bluford.
https://youtu.be/nfvspy9zfVo?t=995
Images:
1. Official portrait of astronaut Guion S. Bluford. Bluford, a member of Astronaut Class 8 and the United States Air Force (USAF), poses in his launch and entry suit
2. Astronaut Guion S. Bluford and Aviation Safety Officer Charles F. Hayes get a unique perspective of the environment during a 1979 zero gravity flight.
3. On Challenger's middeck, Mission Specialist Guion Guy Bluford, assists Dr. William E. Thornton (out of frame) with a medical test that requires use of the treadmill exercise.
4. Retired Colonel and Astronaut Guion S Bluford with his wife Linda and sons Guion III and James on vacation in Antigua in 1978.
Biographies:
1. er.jsc.nasa.gov
2. thehistorymakers.org/biography/guion-bluford]
1. Background from {[https://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/bluford.htm]}
NAME: Guion S. Bluford, Jr. (Colonel, USAF)
NASA Astronaut
PERSONAL DATA: Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 22, 1942.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Black hair; brown eyes; 6 feet; 180 pounds.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Overbrook Senior High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1960; received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 1964; a master of science degree with distinction in aerospace engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1974; a doctor of philosophy in aerospace engineering with a minor in laser physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1978, and a master in business administration from the University of Houston, Clear Lake, in 1987.
MARITAL STATUS: Married to the former Linda Tull of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
CHILDREN: Guion Stewart III, June 12, 1964; James Trevor, October 25, 1965.
RECREATIONAL INTERESTS:
His hobbies include reading, swimming, jogging, racquetball, handball, and scuba.
ORGANIZATIONS:
Associate Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and member of the Air Force Association, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Iota Epsilon, National Technical Association, and Tuskegee Airmen.
SPECIAL HONORS:
Presented the Leadership Award of Phi Delta Kappa (1962); the National Defense Service Medal (1965); Vietnam Campaign Medal (1967); Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm (1967); Vietnam Service Medal (1967); 10 Air Force Air Medals (1967); 3 Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards (1967, 1970, 1972); the Germany Air Force Aviation Badge from the Federal Republic of West Germany (1969); T-38 Instructor Pilot of the Month (1970); Air Training Command Outstanding Flight Safety Award (1970); an Air Force Commendation Medal (1972); the Air Force Institute of Technology's Mervin E. Gross Award (1974); Who's Who Among Black Americans 1975-1977; an Air Force Meritorious Service Award (1978); National Society of Black Engineers Distinguished National Scientist Award (1979); two NASA Group Achievement Awards (1980 and 1981); the Pennsylvania State University Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award (1983), and Alumni Fellows Award (1986), USAF Command Pilot Astronaut Wings (1983), NASA Space Flight Medal (1983, 1985, & 1991), Ebony Black Achievement Award (1983), NAACP Image Award (1983), Who's Who in America (1983), Pennsylvania's Distinguished Service Medal (1984), Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the New York City Urban League's Whitney Young Memorial Award, the 1991 Black Engineer of the Year Award, and honorary doctorate degrees from Florida A & M University, Texas Southern University, Virginia State University, Morgan State University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Tuskegee Institute, Bowie State College, Thomas Jefferson University, Chicago State University, Georgian Court College, and Drexel University.
EXPERIENCE:
Bluford graduated from Penn State University in 1964 as a distinguished Air Force ROTC graduate.
He attended pilot training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, and received his pilot wings in January 1966. He then went to F-4C combat crew training in Arizona and Florida and was assigned to the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. He flew 144 combat missions, 65 of which were over North Vietnam.
In July 1967, he was assigned to the 3,630th Flying Training Wing, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, as a T-38A instructor pilot. He served as a standardization/evaluation officer and as an assistant flight commander. In early 1971, he attended Squadron Officers School and returned as an executive support officer to the Deputy Commander of Operations and as School Secretary for the Wing.
In August 1972, he entered the Air Force Institute of Technology residency school at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Upon graduating in 1974, he was assigned to the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, as a staff development engineer. He served as deputy for advanced concepts for the Aeromechanics Division and as branch chief of the Aerodynamics and Airframe Branch in the Laboratory. Bluford has written and presented several scientific papers in the area of computational fluid dynamics.
He has logged over 5,100 hours jet flight time in the T-33, T-37, T-38, F-4C, F-15, U-2/TR-1, and F-5A/B, including 1,300 hours as a T-38 instructor pilot. He also has an FAA commercial pilot license.
NASA EXPERIENCE:
Bluford became a NASA astronaut in August 1979. His technical assignments have included working with the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), Spacelab-3 experiments, Space Shuttle systems, verifying flight software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) and the Flight Systems Laboratory (FSL), and serving as the Astronaut Office point of contact for generic Spacelab and Shuttle External Tank issues. A veteran of three space flights, Bluford was a mission specialist on STS-8 in 1983, STS 61-A in 1985, and STS-39 in 1991.
Bluford's first mission was STS-8, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 30, 1983. This was the third flight for the Orbiter Challenger and the first mission with a night launch and night landing. During the mission, the STS-8 crew deployed the Indian National Satellite (INSAT-1B); operated the Canadian-built RMS with the Payload Flight Test Article (PFTA); operated the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) with live cell samples; conducted medical measurements to understand biophysiological effects on space flight; and activated various earth resources and space science experiments along with four "Getaway Special" canisters. STS-8 completed 98 orbits of the Earth in 145 hours before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 5, 1983.
On STS 61-A, the German D-1 Spacelab mission, the crew on board the Orbiter Challenger launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 30, 1985. This mission was the first to carry eight crew members, the largest crew to fly in space ans included three European payload specialists. This was the first dedicated Spacelab mission under the direction of the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DFVLR) and the first U.S. mission in which payload control was transferred to a foreign country (German Space Operations Center, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany). During the mission, the Global Low Orbiting Message Relay Satellite (GLOMR) was deployed from a "Getaway Special" (GAS) container, and 76 experiments were performed in Spacelab in such fields as fluid physics, materials processing, life sciences, and navigation. The experimental test facilities used included melting, solidification, and crystal growing furnaces, facilities for the observation of fluid physics phenomena, chambers to provide specific environmental conditions for biological samples, and a vestibular sled. After completing 111 orbits of the Earth in 169 hours, Challenger landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on November 6, 1985.
Bluford also served on the crew of STS-39, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on April 28, 1991, aboard the Orbiter, Discovery. The crew gathered aurora, Earth-limb, celestial, and Shuttle environment data with the AFP-675 payload. This payload consisted of the Cryogenic infrared Radiance Instrumentation for Shuttle (CIRRIS-1A) experiment, Far Ultraviolet Camera experiment (FAR UV), the Uniformly Redundant Array (URA), the Quadruple Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (QINMS), and the Horizon Ultraviolet Program (HUP) experiment. The crew also deployed and retrieved the Spas-II with the RMS. The Spas-II carried the Infrared Background Signature Survey (IBSS) experiment, which collected Shuttle exhaust plume, Earthlimb, Earthscan, aurora, chemical/gas release and celestial data. The crew also operated the Space Test Payload-1 (STP-1) and deployed a classified payload from the Multi-Purpose Experiment Canister (MPEC). After completing 134 orbits of the Earth and 199 hours in space, Discovery landed at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on May 6, 1991.
More recently, Bluford served on the crew of STS-53 which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on December 2, 1992. The crew of five deployed the classified Department of Defense payload DOD-1 and then performed several Military-Man-in-Space and NASA experiments. After completing 115 orbits of the Earth in 175 hours, Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 9, 1992.
With the completion of his fourth flight, Bluford has logged over 688 hours in space.
Bluford left NASA in July 1993 to take the post of Vice President/General Manager, Engineering Services Division, NYMA Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland."
2. Background from {[https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/guion-bluford]}
Guion Stewart Bluford
Information about Guion Stewart Bluford
Interview Date May 9, 2013
Profession; Occupation(s): Astronaut; Military Officer
Favorites
Favorite Color: Beige
Favorite Food: Steak, Lobster
Favorite Time of Year: Summer
Favorite Quote: Do what you love and love what you do.
Birth date and place
Born: 11/22/1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Biography
NASA astronaut, aerospace engineer, military officer, and senior engineering executive, Guion S. Bluford Jr. was born on November 22, 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the eldest of three sons of Guion Bluford, Sr., a mechanical engineer, and Lolita Bluford, a special education teacher. Bluford graduated from Overbrook Senior High School in 1960 and went on to graduate from Pennsylvania State University in 1964 with his B.S. degree in aerospace engineering. He was also a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force ROTC program and received his commission as an Air Force second lieutenant. Bluford graduated from the Air Force Institute of Technology with his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in aerospace engineering in 1974 and 1978, respectively. In 1987, Bluford received his M.B.A. degree in management from the University of Houston at Clear Lake.
After receiving his Air Force pilot wings, Bluford was assigned to the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. As an F4C fighter pilot, he flew 144 combat missions in Southeast Asia. From 1967 to 1972, he was a T-38 instructor pilot at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas where he trained future U.S. Air Force and West German fighter pilots. Upon graduating from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1974, Bluford was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory as Deputy for Advanced Concepts in the Aeromechanics Division and then as Branch Chief of the Aerodynamics and Airframe Branch. In 1978, Bluford was selected for the astronaut program and was officially designated a NASA astronaut one year later. In 1983, he became the first African American to fly in space and the first to receive the U.S. Air Force Command Pilot Astronaut Wings. Bluford was also the first African American to return to space a second, third, and fourth time when he flew on STS-61A in 1985, STS-39 in 1991, and STS-53 in 1992. He has logged more than 688 hours in space.
In 1993, he retired from NASA and the United States Air Force to become the Vice President/General Manager of the Engineering Services Division of NYMA Inc. He led the research support effort in aeropropulsion, satellite systems, microgravity and advanced materials. In 1997, he became the Vice President of the Aerospace Sector of the Federal Data Corporation and led the company’s NASA business. Finally, in 2000, Bluford became the Vice President of Microgravity R&D and Operation for Northrop Grumman Corporation and led the industry team in the development of two experiment facilities currently on the International Space Station. Today, Bluford is the President of the Aerospace Technology Group in Cleveland, Ohio.
Bluford has been awarded the Department of Defense Superior Service and Meritorious Service Medals; the Air Force Legion of Merit and Meritorious Service Medal; the NASA Distinguished Service and Exceptional Service Medals; the Pennsylvania Distinguished Service Medal; the 1991 Black Engineer of the Year Award and fourteen honorary doctorate degrees. He was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997 and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010
Guion Stewart Bluford, Jr. was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on May 9, 2013."
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LTC Stephen F.
GOE 2018 - Dr Guion “Guy” Bluford, Jr Colonel, USAF, Ret
Dr. Guion “Guy” Bluford, Jr. (Colonel, USAF, Ret) became the first African American to fly in space in 1983. He is the first African American awarded the Nat...
GOE 2018 - Dr Guion “Guy” Bluford, Jr Colonel, USAF, Ret
Dr. Guion “Guy” Bluford, Jr. (Colonel, USAF, Ret) became the first African American to fly in space in 1983. He is the first African American awarded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Gold Astronaut Pin and United States Air Force’s Command Pilot Astronaut Wings. Bluford was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997 and the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010. Bluford logged over 5,200 hours in high performance jet aircraft and flew 688 hours in space on four space shuttle missions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwg9G-YqACk
Images:
1. F-4C Phantom Fighter pilot Guion 'Guy' Stewart Bluford
2. Vietnam War F-4 Phantom pilot Guion Stewart Bluford
3. F-4C Phantoms Fighters 557th TFS 12th TFW over Vietnam 1968
4. September 2013 Vietnam Veterans Association National President John Rowan presenting Excellence Award to Guion S. Bluford
Background from {[https://vvaveteran.org/33-5/33-5_bluford.htm]}
September/October 2013
Guy Bluford: Fighter Pilot, Astronaut, Aeronautic Consultant BY WILLIAM C. TRIPLETT
Among other distinctions, Guy Bluford was the first African-American astronaut to fly in space. Yet he has a steady, gentle, and assured voice, along with what appears to be a very unprepossessing, matter-of-fact view of life—possibly the results of having experienced two uncomfortably close brushes with death. The first came courtesy of determined NVA antiaircraft gunners, the other from having originally been assigned to fly on the fatal 1986 space shuttle Challenger mission.
“I greatly enjoy my world,” he says. “I can pick what I want to do now.” Nice work if you can get it. Bluford got it the way most overachievers do: earning it multiple times.
Bluford never thought he’d be a pilot, even when he was part of the Air Force ROTC program at Penn State University in the early 1960s. “I planned to be an aerospace engineer,” he says. After graduating from PSU with honors in 1964, he figured on serving in the Air Force as an engineer. But he made a last-minute decision to become a pilot, which set him on a course he could not even have imagined.
Pinning on his wings in January 1966, Bluford received his first assignment: flying F-4 Phantoms with the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron based in Thailand. Before deployment he underwent nine months of training for combat crew operations in F-4Cs, followed by jungle survival school. Then his orders were changed from Thailand to Cam Ranh Bay, to serve with the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
He arrived in October 1966. During the next nine months he flew 144 combat missions, 65 over North Vietnam. The routine was established pretty quickly. “You’d wake up, head over to squadron operations, and see if you were flying that day,” Bluford recalls. “If so, you had to be ready two hours before the mission for the briefing.”
The missions varied—bombing runs over many parts of South Vietnam right up to the DMZ; providing air cover over Haiphong and Hanoi in the North; interdicting supply routes in Laos; supporting Army ground operations. “I really enjoyed the in-country air-to-ground support missions,” Bluford says.
Pulling alert duty, however, was his favorite. “For two days you’d live out on the alert pad by the end of the runway, and when the alarm went off, you jumped in your aircraft and went,” he says. “Those were the best.” Though it was a rotating duty, Bluford spent more than his share of time on alert. “I’m not a drinker, so whenever it was a holiday, I was usually on the alert pad because I was the only pilot sober.” He didn’t mind because “the F-4 was just great fun to fly.”
Not Everything Was Fun
“We lost a few,” Bluford says. “We lost one guy over the DMZ, and he ended up a POW for six or seven years. Another guy was killed during a napalm run north of Saigon.”
The 557th almost lost Bluford during a mission over North Vietnam, when an 85mm antiaircraft gun opened up on his aircraft. “They didn’t shoot at anyone else in the flight of four,” he says. But, although they shot at him repeatedly, Bluford managed to escape unharmed.
Bluford’s time in Vietnam made two deep impressions on him. “I saw how the Air Force worked, how to fly and fight,” he says. “It was very educational to see how the Air Force exercised air power. That was good.”
But he thinks the exercise was limited. Second impression: “We did not effectively use air power to prosecute the war. There were a lot of things we couldn’t do,” Bluford says. “I think in the end I left with the same feeling that a lot of guys who led the [1991 U.S. and allied] attack on Kuwait had: If you’re going to use military power, you’ve got to use it all. There’s no half way.”
Among the decorations he received were the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm and ten Air Force Air Medals.
In 1967 Bluford found no lack of Air Force pilot jobs available stateside, because most of his colleagues were heading to Vietnam. He took a position as an instructor pilot at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, teaching new pilots to fly T-38 trainers. He stayed almost five years and attended Squadron Officers School to become executive support officer to the Deputy Commander of Operations.
Bluford never lost his interest in engineering. He eventually applied for a scholarship program at the Air Force Institute of Technology, earning both an M.S. and Ph.D.
“About then I came up for reassignment,” Bluford remembers, “and the Air Force wanted me back in a cockpit. I said I’d fly fighters again, and they said no way.”
The NASA Shuttle
Bluford was aware of the new space program that NASA was about to launch, the shuttle, and thought it might be time to leave the Air Force since he wasn’t doing what he really wanted to do. “The shuttle was just coming off the assembly line,” he says. “NASA was hiring. I thought about it a long time, and I didn’t think I’d make it, but then”—for the second fateful time—“I applied at the last minute.”
About eight thousand other people applied, too. Bluford was selected for a week of intensive interviews by NASA officials at Johnson Space Center in Houston in 1977. In January 1978 the space agency announced that he was one of the thirty-five first astronauts chosen for the shuttle program. Two other African Americans and six women—including Sally Ride—were among the new recruits.
In 1983, as part of the crew for shuttle Challenger’s third flight, he became the first African American to go into space. Bluford knew it would be more than just another NASA mission. “I think I recognized the historical significance of what I was doing, and I wanted to do as good a job as possible,” he says. The mission included deploying a satellite, operating the shuttle’s robotic arm, and taking medical measurements to better understand the biophysiological effects of space flight. NASA deemed the mission a complete success.
NASA next assigned Bluford to a crew to fly on a Challenger mission slated for launch in January 1986. The crew that ultimately died in the explosion minutes after that launch had originally been assigned to fly in October 1985. But as October had approached, “that crew was having problems and wasn’t ready to go,” he says. “Our crew was ready, even though we weren’t going to launch until January. So they flipped us: We went up in October, and they were put into the January slot.”
“It was very upsetting,” Bluford says of the accident. “Some astronauts left the program because their wives were scared. I made a commitment to stay because I lost some good friends in that accident and I wanted to do whatever I could to help make sure the shuttle would fly again.”
Shuttle crews had established a tradition involving symbolic keys that had been made for each shuttle. After a crew returned from a mission, they handed off the keys for that particular shuttle to the next crew scheduled to go up in it. In October 1985 Bluford was aboard the Challenger—its last successful flight. “I was going to give the Challenger keys [to the January 1986 crew] but never managed to do it in time,” he says. For the rest of his tenure at NASA—about ten years—Bluford kept these keys on a wall in his office.
Bluford flew four shuttle missions, logging 688 hours in space and performing a wide variety of scientific tasks. He loved it all, he says, especially launches and the feeling of zero gravity. “But being an astronaut is like eating chocolate cake,” he observes. “No matter how much you like it, you’ve got to eat something else eventually.”
After receiving an M.B.A. while still with NASA, Bluford left the Astronaut Corps in 1993 to go work in the aerospace industry. In 2002 he founded the Aerospace Technology Group, an engineering consulting organization in Cleveland. Among his first clients: The independent board convened to investigate the loss of the shuttle Columbia, which broke apart during reentry in 2003, killing the crew.
Because of his technological and scientific expertise, Bluford consulted on the investigation. It wasn’t easy. While still immensely proud of his time with NASA and of the agency’s overall work, “I was pissed at NASA because they had made the same mistake twice—normalization of deviation,” he says. As had been the case with the Challenger accident, “they had seen something out of the ordinary and came to accept it, and it killed people.”
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Dr. Guion “Guy” Bluford, Jr. (Colonel, USAF, Ret) became the first African American to fly in space in 1983. He is the first African American awarded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Gold Astronaut Pin and United States Air Force’s Command Pilot Astronaut Wings. Bluford was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997 and the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010. Bluford logged over 5,200 hours in high performance jet aircraft and flew 688 hours in space on four space shuttle missions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwg9G-YqACk
Images:
1. F-4C Phantom Fighter pilot Guion 'Guy' Stewart Bluford
2. Vietnam War F-4 Phantom pilot Guion Stewart Bluford
3. F-4C Phantoms Fighters 557th TFS 12th TFW over Vietnam 1968
4. September 2013 Vietnam Veterans Association National President John Rowan presenting Excellence Award to Guion S. Bluford
Background from {[https://vvaveteran.org/33-5/33-5_bluford.htm]}
September/October 2013
Guy Bluford: Fighter Pilot, Astronaut, Aeronautic Consultant BY WILLIAM C. TRIPLETT
Among other distinctions, Guy Bluford was the first African-American astronaut to fly in space. Yet he has a steady, gentle, and assured voice, along with what appears to be a very unprepossessing, matter-of-fact view of life—possibly the results of having experienced two uncomfortably close brushes with death. The first came courtesy of determined NVA antiaircraft gunners, the other from having originally been assigned to fly on the fatal 1986 space shuttle Challenger mission.
“I greatly enjoy my world,” he says. “I can pick what I want to do now.” Nice work if you can get it. Bluford got it the way most overachievers do: earning it multiple times.
Bluford never thought he’d be a pilot, even when he was part of the Air Force ROTC program at Penn State University in the early 1960s. “I planned to be an aerospace engineer,” he says. After graduating from PSU with honors in 1964, he figured on serving in the Air Force as an engineer. But he made a last-minute decision to become a pilot, which set him on a course he could not even have imagined.
Pinning on his wings in January 1966, Bluford received his first assignment: flying F-4 Phantoms with the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron based in Thailand. Before deployment he underwent nine months of training for combat crew operations in F-4Cs, followed by jungle survival school. Then his orders were changed from Thailand to Cam Ranh Bay, to serve with the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
He arrived in October 1966. During the next nine months he flew 144 combat missions, 65 over North Vietnam. The routine was established pretty quickly. “You’d wake up, head over to squadron operations, and see if you were flying that day,” Bluford recalls. “If so, you had to be ready two hours before the mission for the briefing.”
The missions varied—bombing runs over many parts of South Vietnam right up to the DMZ; providing air cover over Haiphong and Hanoi in the North; interdicting supply routes in Laos; supporting Army ground operations. “I really enjoyed the in-country air-to-ground support missions,” Bluford says.
Pulling alert duty, however, was his favorite. “For two days you’d live out on the alert pad by the end of the runway, and when the alarm went off, you jumped in your aircraft and went,” he says. “Those were the best.” Though it was a rotating duty, Bluford spent more than his share of time on alert. “I’m not a drinker, so whenever it was a holiday, I was usually on the alert pad because I was the only pilot sober.” He didn’t mind because “the F-4 was just great fun to fly.”
Not Everything Was Fun
“We lost a few,” Bluford says. “We lost one guy over the DMZ, and he ended up a POW for six or seven years. Another guy was killed during a napalm run north of Saigon.”
The 557th almost lost Bluford during a mission over North Vietnam, when an 85mm antiaircraft gun opened up on his aircraft. “They didn’t shoot at anyone else in the flight of four,” he says. But, although they shot at him repeatedly, Bluford managed to escape unharmed.
Bluford’s time in Vietnam made two deep impressions on him. “I saw how the Air Force worked, how to fly and fight,” he says. “It was very educational to see how the Air Force exercised air power. That was good.”
But he thinks the exercise was limited. Second impression: “We did not effectively use air power to prosecute the war. There were a lot of things we couldn’t do,” Bluford says. “I think in the end I left with the same feeling that a lot of guys who led the [1991 U.S. and allied] attack on Kuwait had: If you’re going to use military power, you’ve got to use it all. There’s no half way.”
Among the decorations he received were the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm and ten Air Force Air Medals.
In 1967 Bluford found no lack of Air Force pilot jobs available stateside, because most of his colleagues were heading to Vietnam. He took a position as an instructor pilot at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, teaching new pilots to fly T-38 trainers. He stayed almost five years and attended Squadron Officers School to become executive support officer to the Deputy Commander of Operations.
Bluford never lost his interest in engineering. He eventually applied for a scholarship program at the Air Force Institute of Technology, earning both an M.S. and Ph.D.
“About then I came up for reassignment,” Bluford remembers, “and the Air Force wanted me back in a cockpit. I said I’d fly fighters again, and they said no way.”
The NASA Shuttle
Bluford was aware of the new space program that NASA was about to launch, the shuttle, and thought it might be time to leave the Air Force since he wasn’t doing what he really wanted to do. “The shuttle was just coming off the assembly line,” he says. “NASA was hiring. I thought about it a long time, and I didn’t think I’d make it, but then”—for the second fateful time—“I applied at the last minute.”
About eight thousand other people applied, too. Bluford was selected for a week of intensive interviews by NASA officials at Johnson Space Center in Houston in 1977. In January 1978 the space agency announced that he was one of the thirty-five first astronauts chosen for the shuttle program. Two other African Americans and six women—including Sally Ride—were among the new recruits.
In 1983, as part of the crew for shuttle Challenger’s third flight, he became the first African American to go into space. Bluford knew it would be more than just another NASA mission. “I think I recognized the historical significance of what I was doing, and I wanted to do as good a job as possible,” he says. The mission included deploying a satellite, operating the shuttle’s robotic arm, and taking medical measurements to better understand the biophysiological effects of space flight. NASA deemed the mission a complete success.
NASA next assigned Bluford to a crew to fly on a Challenger mission slated for launch in January 1986. The crew that ultimately died in the explosion minutes after that launch had originally been assigned to fly in October 1985. But as October had approached, “that crew was having problems and wasn’t ready to go,” he says. “Our crew was ready, even though we weren’t going to launch until January. So they flipped us: We went up in October, and they were put into the January slot.”
“It was very upsetting,” Bluford says of the accident. “Some astronauts left the program because their wives were scared. I made a commitment to stay because I lost some good friends in that accident and I wanted to do whatever I could to help make sure the shuttle would fly again.”
Shuttle crews had established a tradition involving symbolic keys that had been made for each shuttle. After a crew returned from a mission, they handed off the keys for that particular shuttle to the next crew scheduled to go up in it. In October 1985 Bluford was aboard the Challenger—its last successful flight. “I was going to give the Challenger keys [to the January 1986 crew] but never managed to do it in time,” he says. For the rest of his tenure at NASA—about ten years—Bluford kept these keys on a wall in his office.
Bluford flew four shuttle missions, logging 688 hours in space and performing a wide variety of scientific tasks. He loved it all, he says, especially launches and the feeling of zero gravity. “But being an astronaut is like eating chocolate cake,” he observes. “No matter how much you like it, you’ve got to eat something else eventually.”
After receiving an M.B.A. while still with NASA, Bluford left the Astronaut Corps in 1993 to go work in the aerospace industry. In 2002 he founded the Aerospace Technology Group, an engineering consulting organization in Cleveland. Among his first clients: The independent board convened to investigate the loss of the shuttle Columbia, which broke apart during reentry in 2003, killing the crew.
Because of his technological and scientific expertise, Bluford consulted on the investigation. It wasn’t easy. While still immensely proud of his time with NASA and of the agency’s overall work, “I was pissed at NASA because they had made the same mistake twice—normalization of deviation,” he says. As had been the case with the Challenger accident, “they had seen something out of the ordinary and came to accept it, and it killed people.”
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LTC Stephen F.
Guion "Guy" Bluford tribute video
A video tribute to Penn State Distinguished Alumnus and pioneering astronaut Guion S. "Guy" Bluford shown at The Pennsylvania Society's 113th Annual Dinner o...
Guion "Guy" Bluford tribute video
A video tribute to Penn State Distinguished Alumnus and pioneering astronaut Guion S. "Guy" Bluford shown at The Pennsylvania Society's 113th Annual Dinner on Dec. 10, 2011. Bluford was awarded the Society's Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PY-eva3tnE
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A video tribute to Penn State Distinguished Alumnus and pioneering astronaut Guion S. "Guy" Bluford shown at The Pennsylvania Society's 113th Annual Dinner on Dec. 10, 2011. Bluford was awarded the Society's Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PY-eva3tnE
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MSG Felipe De Leon Brown
Great share, Stephen. Reading COL Bluford's account of his time with NASA is the "something new" that I learned today. Thank you, my brother in Christ.
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He and many brother were good friends. They worked at Northrop Grumman together, I believe. I think they met working in Cleveland.
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Thanks for the share, David. I remember the news like it was yesterday. As an Hispanic, it made me very proud to be an American.
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