Guy Bluford, First African American in space 🚀,40Years of Insiperation

When he was accepted into NASA's astronaut training program in 1978, Guy Bluford never aimed to become the first African-American in space.

"My desire," says Bluford, "was to make a contribution to the program."

Years later, Bluford still recalls the rain-soaked, early Florida morning of Aug. 30, 1983, when a crowd of VIPs and other soggy well-wishers at the Kennedy Space Center awaited Space Shuttle Challenger's soar into history on STS-8.

"People came from all over to watch this launch because I was flying," said Bluford, recalling his thoughts while strapped in and awaiting Challenger's dramatic liftoff. "I imagined them, all standing out there at one o'clock in the morning with their umbrellas, all asking the same question, 'Why am I standing here?'"

Bluford, one of three African-Americans in that 1978 barrier-breaking class of astronauts (former NASA Deputy Administrator Fred Gregory and Challenger astronaut, the lateRon McNair, the others), believes he was selected for the history-making mission because of his complement of pilot and engineering experience.