JFK Asks for a Black Astronaut
In the early 1960s, Air Force Captain Ed Dwight was on the fast track to becoming the nation’s first black man to travel to space.
Source: Wikimedia
The president of the era, John F. Kennedy, specifically requested a black astronaut, and Dwight was initially chosen. However, when the President changed his mind, the captain’s dream of becoming the first black man in space was swiftly taken away.
Dwight Misses Out on His First Chance to Go to Space
Despite having all the credentials JFK was searching for and graduating in the top half of his class at Pilot School, a different candidate was eventually chosen over Captain Dwight.
Source: Wikimedia
Dwight later details the full experience in his autobiography, “Soaring On The Wings Of A Dream: The Untold Story of America’s First Black Astronaut Candidate,” according to NPR.
Dwight Kept His Dream Alive
Dwight stayed in the Air Force for several years before eventually leaving. Following his career in the military, he became a revered sculptor, specializing in crafting historical African American figures.
Source: Freepik
He had dreamed of making it to space one day, yet that dream seemed to be disappearing with age. That was, until the 90-year-old was offered a seat on a Blue Origin flight. The cost of the ticket was shared amongst the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Family Foundation, Space for Humanity, and Blue Origin.
Blue Origin Fight Into Space
On May 19, Dwight joined the crew at Blue Origin’s West Texas launch site, marking the company’s first passenger flight in almost two years.
Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The commercial space company, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos hopes to make such flights routine one day. Dwight embarked on a 10-minute suborbital flight that cemented his spot as the oldest person to ever fly to space.
Dwight Reaches Heights of Nearly 350,000 Feet
The Blue Origin rocket took the spacecraft nearly 350.000 feet above the Earth’s surface, far surpassing the 330,000-foot Karman line, which sets the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space.
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Alongside the former Air Force captain on the shuttle sat “Mason Angel, a venture capitalist; Sylvain Chiron, the founder of a French craft brewery; entrepreneur Kenneth Hess; aviator Gopi Thotakura and Carol Schaller, a retired accountant,” per NPR.
Triumph for the Elderly Astronaut
Following the short journey into space, the rocket returned to the Earth and landed close to the initial launch site. It landed using two of its three parachutes after one redundant chute failed to deploy.
Source: The Associated Press/YouTube
After appearing from the capsule, Dwight, full of excitement, raised both of his fists into the air in triumph. “Fantastic! A life-changing experience. Everyone needs to do this!” he remarked. “I didn’t know I needed this in my life, but now I need it in my life,” he said.
"I’ve Got Bragging Rights Now," Says 90-Year-Old
Shortly after Dwight touched down on Earth, he answered several questions while speaking on the phone with NPR. On completing the journey, he reportedly said, “I’ve got bragging rights now.”
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“All these years, I’ve been called an astronaut,” Dwight said, but “now I have a little [astronaut] pin, which is a totally different matter.”
The Line Between Earth and Space
Dwight also touched on his time in the Air Force, claiming he had been to around 80,000 feet during test flights. However, at four times this altitude during his brief trip aboard Blue Origins, New Shepard, he detailed just how pronounced the curvature of the Earth is.
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“That line between the atmosphere and space. It was like somebody pulled the curtains down over the windows,” he said.
90-Year-Old Veteran Plans to Return to Space
Dwight is now officially recognized as the oldest man ever to venture into space. However, during the interview with NPR, the former captain admits he would jump at the chance to return to space in the future.
Source: Inside Edition/YouTube
“I want to go into orbit. I want to go around the Earth and see the whole Earth. That’s what I want to do now,” said Dwight.
Dwight Beats Movie Stars Record
Before Dwight became the oldest astronaut to travel to space, the previous record holder was none other than Star Trek actor William Shatner, whom the Air Force captain beat by just a few short months.
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Captain Kirk traveled beyond the borders of the world back in 2021 on the New Shepard rocket alongside three other people.
Blue Origins Continues to Travel to Space
Back in July 2020, Bezos space company, Blue Origin, launched its first flight. Aboard the New Shepard sat Bezo, his brother Mark, Willy Funk, and a lucky 18-year-old Dutch citizen, who was the youngest to ever fly into space at the time.
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The New Shepard’s two-year break came after the rocket for an uncrewed research mission exploded in September 2022. However, Bezos’ New Shepard received the green light for travel a year later.