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Guion Bluford

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Guion Guy Stewart Bluford
Born
Guion Stewart Bluford Jr.

(1942-11-22) November 22, 1942 (age 82)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationPennsylvania State University (BS)
Air University (MS, PhD)
University of Houston (MBA)
Space career
NASA astronaut
RankColonel, USAF
Time in space
28d 16h 33m
SelectionNASA Group 8 (1978)
MissionsSTS-8
STS-61-A
STS-39
STS-53
Mission insignia

Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. (born November 22, 1942) is an American aerospace engineer, retired United States Air Force (USAF) officer and fighter pilot, and former NASA astronaut, in which capacity he became the first African American to go to space.[1][2][a] While assigned to NASA, he remained a USAF officer rising to the rank of colonel. He participated in four Space Shuttle flights between 1983 and 1992. In 1983, as a member of the crew of the Orbiter Challenger on the mission STS-8, he became the first African American in space as well as the second black person in space, after Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez.[3]

Personal life

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Born in Philadelphia, Bluford graduated from Overbrook High School in 1960. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1964, a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 1974, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Laser Physics, again from AFIT, in 1978, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Houston–Clear Lake in 1987.[4] He has also attended the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania.[5]

His hobbies include reading, swimming, jogging, racquetball, handball, scuba diving and golf.[6] He married Linda Tull in 1964 and has two sons.[7]

Air Force career

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Bluford attended pilot training at Williams Air Force Base, and received his pilot wings on January 19 for the Aeromechanics Division and as branch chief of the Laboratory's Aerodynamics and Airframe Branch. He has written and presented several scientific papers in computational fluid dynamics.[6]

He has logged over 5,200 hours of jet flight time in the T-33, T-37, T-38, F-4C, U-2/TR-1, and F-5A/B aircraft, including 1,300 hours as a T-38 instructor pilot. He also has an FAA commercial pilot license.[6]

NASA career

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Astronaut candidates Ron McNair, Bluford, and Fred Gregory wearing Apollo spacesuits, May 1978

Bluford was selected to become a NASA astronaut in January 1978 as a part of NASA astronaut group 8.[8] He was one of several astronauts recruited by Nichelle Nichols as part of a NASA effort to increase the number of minority and female astronauts.[9] They trained for a year and were officially designated as astronauts in August 1979.[6][10] His technical assignments have included working with Space Station operations, the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), Spacelab systems and experiments, Space Shuttle systems, payload safety issues and verifying flight software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) and in the Flight Systems Laboratory (FSL). Bluford was a mission specialist on STS-8, STS-61-A, STS-39, and STS-53.[11]

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);[12] tested the Canadian-built robotic arm (the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS) or Canadarm) with the Payload Flight Test Article (PFTA); operated the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) with live cell samples; conducted medical measurements to understand bio-physiological effects of space flight; and activated 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.[6]

Bluford on STS-8 in 1983

Bluford then served on the crew of STS-61-A, the German D-1 Spacelab mission, which launched from Kennedy Space Center on October 30, 1985. This mission was the first to carry eight crew members, the largest crew to fly in space, and 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. After completing 111 orbits of the Earth in 169 hours, Challenger landed at Edwards Air Force Base on November 6, 1985.[6]

Bluford also served on the crew of STS-39, which launched from Kennedy Space Center 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 Quadrupole Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (QINMS), and the Horizon Ultraviolet Program (HUP) experiment. The crew also deployed and retrieved the SPAS-II which carried the Infrared Background Signature Survey (IBSS) experiment. 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 on May 6, 1991.[6]

Bluford's last mission was STS-53, which launched from Kennedy Space Center 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 on December 9, 1992.[6]

With the completion of his fourth flight, Bluford has logged over 688 hours in space.[6]

Bluford, an Eagle Scout, was designated as the emissary to return the Challenger flag to Boy Scout Troop 514 of Monument, Colorado, in December 1986. On December 18 of that year, he presented the flag to the troop in a special ceremony at Falcon Air Force Base.[13]

Post-NASA career

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Bluford left NASA and retired from the USAF in July 1993 to take the post of Vice President/General Manager, Engineering Division of NYMA, Greenbelt, Maryland. In May 1997, he became Vice President of the Aerospace Sector of Federal Data Corporation and in October 2000, he became the Vice President of Microgravity R&D and Operations for the Northrop Grumman Corporation. He retired from Northrop Grumman in September 2002 to become the President of Aerospace Technology, an engineering consulting organization in Cleveland, Ohio.[6]

Bluford was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997,[11] the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010,[14] and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2019.[15]

In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Bluford on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans.[16] In 2006, Bluford was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of Penn State by being selected as the Grand Marshal for his alma mater's Homecoming celebration.[17]

In 2020, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine awarded him the Ohio Distinguished Service Medal: Ohio's highest non-combat decoration for service.

Organizations

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Some of NASA's first African-American astronauts including Ronald McNair, Bluford, and Frederick D. Gregory from the class of 1978 selection of astronauts.

Bluford is a member and a fellow of many organizations:[6]

Awards and honors

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He also received honorary doctorate degrees from Florida A&M University,[27] 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 University, Drexel University, Kent State University, Central State University and the University of the Sciences.[6]

Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy West, a middle/high school in Baltimore, Maryland, is named in his honor (along with Charles Drew and Mae Jemison). On October 8, 2021, a building on the main campus of The Pennsylvania State University in its Innovation Park was named the Guion S. Bluford Jr. Building in his honor.

On July 25, 2017, the Philadelphia Orchestra premiered Hold Fast to Dreams, a 25-minute piece for orchestra and choir in four movements, commissioned by the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in honor of Bluford, and written by composer Nolan Williams Jr.[28][29]

Notes

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  1. ^ Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. was the first African American selected as an astronaut but did not go to space.

References

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  1. ^ Launius, Roger D. (2004). Frontiers of Space Exploration. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 245. ISBN 978-0-313-32524-3. bluford first space.
  2. ^ Cox, Kate (October 30, 2019). "For All Mankind imagines a space race that leaves fewer people out". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  3. ^ Leahy, Anna; Dechow, Douglas R. (February 7, 2017). "What Everyone Gets Wrong about Black History in the Space Age". Scientific American. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  4. ^ "Guion S. Bluford". Black History at Penn State. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  5. ^ "Biographical Data" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at "GUION S. BLUFORD, JR. PH.D. (COLONEL, USAF, RET.) NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)" (PDF). NASA. May 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "Guy Bluford: Biography from Answers.com". Answers.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  8. ^ "Ohio Astronaut Says Choice Makes Him Unique". Chillicothe Gazette. Chillicothe, Ohio. Associated Press. January 17, 1978. p. 9. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ NASA Archives (January 3, 2014). "Space History Photo: Nichelle Nichols, NASA Recruiter". Space.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  10. ^ "Sally Ride (1951–2012)". NASA. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  11. ^ a b "Guion S. Bluford Jr. Biography from Who 2.com". Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  12. ^ Howell, Elizabeth (February 8, 2017). "Guion Bluford: First African-American in Space". Space.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  13. ^ "Shuttle Flag Returned to Boy Scout Troops". The Independent-Record. Helena, Montana. Associated Press. December 19, 1986. p. 8A. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "2010 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Gala". Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Archived from the original on May 1, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  15. ^ a b "National Aviation Hall of Fame Reveals "Class of 2019"" (Press release). National Aviation Hall of Fame. November 27, 2018. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  16. ^ Asante, Molefi Kete (2002). 100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. ISBN 978-1-57392-963-9.
  17. ^ Ranalli, Melanie (September 19, 2006). "Penn State astronaut selected homecoming grand marshal". Pennsylvania State University. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  18. ^ a b "Astronaut to be Speaker at MCCC Commencement". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. April 3, 1986. p. 11. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ London, Michael (December 6, 1983). "NAACP Confers Image Awards". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 66. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Deen, Lango (January 17, 2019). "Where Are They Now? BEYA Winners of the Past". USBE Information Technology. Career Communications Group. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  21. ^ "Alamogordo Hall of Fame Honors 5 Space-Flight Pioneers". El Paso Times. El Paso, Texas. September 2, 1997. p. 9. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Guion S. Bluford Jr., The First African-American to Enter Outer Space". New Mexico Museum of Space History. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  23. ^ Best, Keilani (June 6, 2010). "Astronauts Enter Hall". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 1B. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Guion S. Bluford, Jr". Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  25. ^ "Enshrinee Guion S. Bluford". nationalaviation.org. National Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  26. ^ "Bluford honored with Gold Medal from Pennsylvania Society". Penn State. December 15, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  27. ^ "FAMU to Give Bluford Honorary Degree". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. Associated Press. October 13, 1983. p. 12A – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ Dorbin, Peter (July 26, 2017). "Philly astronaut Bluford gets his props at the Mann – and a soaring orchestral number in his honor". Philly.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  29. ^ Writer, Chanel Hill Tribune Staff (July 28, 2017). "Mann's space-themed concert honors Black astronaut". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
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