Discovery (STS-53) launched 1992

STS-53 crew

Back row (L-R): David Walker, Robert Cabana, Michael Clifford

Front row (L-R): Guion Bluford, James Voss

STS-53 mission patch

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-53) launched December 2, 1992, carrying a classified payload for the Department of Defense. Its crew consisted of Commander David Walker, Robert Cabana, Guion Bluford (final flight), Michael Clifford (first flight), and James Voss.

One of the unclassified payload was the Orbital Debris Radar Calibration Spheres (ODERACS), which put objects of known size and shape into orbit.  The experiment was used to calibrate radars and telescopes for measuring orbital debris.

The crew returned to Earth December 9.

Discovery (STS-39) launched 1991

STS-39 crew (L-R): Charles Veach, Michael Coats, Gregory Harbaugh, Donald McMonagle, Blaine Hammond, Richard Hieb, Guion Bluford

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Discovery, launched April 28, 1991, carried experiments for the Department of Defense into space.  Its crew consisted of Commander Michael Coats, Pilot Blaine Hammond, Gregory Harbaugh, Donald McMonagle, Guion Bluford, Charles Veach, and Richard Hieb.

They returned to Earth May 6.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Frederick Gregory!

Frederick Gregory, born January 7, 1941 in Washington, DC, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights and is the first African-American to pilot a space shuttle.  He was in NASA's astronaut selection class with Ronald McNair and Guy Bluford. 

His first flight was aboard Challenger (STS-51-B) as pilot April-May 1985.  It was the second flight for the European Space Agency's Spacelab. 

His second flight was on Discovery (STS-33) as commander in November 1989.  The mission was for the Department of Defense so we know very little of what the objectives were.

Gregory's third and final flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-44) as commander November-December 1991, which was also a DoD flight.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Richard Truly!

Richard Truly, born November 12, 1937 in Fayette, Mississippi, flew on two space shuttle missions at the beginning of the program.

He started as a test pilot for the Enterprise's take-offs and landings.  He first went into space on Columbia (STS-2) on his birthday in 1981 with Joe Engle.

His second trip was on Challenger (STS-8) as commander in August-September 1983.  This was the first flight for African-American astronaut Guy Bluford,

He served as NASA's Administrator for 1989 to 1992, during which time he commanded Voyager 1 to take one last picture of Earth before its mission ended.  The pic has become known as the Pale Blue Dot photograph.

Challenger (STS-8) launched 1983

STS-8 crew:

Seated (L-R): Daniel C. Brandenstein, Richard H. Truly, Guion S. Bluford, Jr., 

Standing (L-R): Dale A. Gardner, William E. Thornton

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-8), launched August 30, 1983, was the first night lift-off and night landing of the shuttle program.  Its crew consisted of Commander Richard Truly, Pilot Daniel Brandenstein, Guion Bluford, Dale Gardner, and William Thornton.

They deployed an Indian satellite INSAT-1B and it was the first flight for an African-American astronaut, Guy Bluford.

They returned to Earth September 5.

Challenger (STS-61-A) launched 1985, ninth and final flight

Back row (L-R): Steven Nagel, Guy Bluford, Ernst Messerschmid, Wubbo Ockels

Front row (L-R): Reinhard Furrer, Bonnie Dunbar, James Buchli, Henry Hartsfield

Space Shuttle Challenger blasted off October 30, 1985, on what would be its final flight.  It still holds the distinction for having the largest crew (8) on board from launch to landing.  The mission was funded, directed and controlled by West Germany, so the mission is also known as D-1.

Her record-setting crew was: Commander Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr.; Pilot Steven R. Nagel; Mission Specialist 1 Bonnie J. Dunbar; Mission Specialist 2 James F. Buchli; Mission Specialist 3 Guion S. Buford; Payload Specialist 1 Reinhard Furrer; Payload Specialist 2 Ernst Messerschmid; and Payload Specialist Wubbo Ockels (the Netherlands).

Wubbo Ockels, born in Amsterdam, was the first Dutch citizen to go to space.  This was the only mission in space for him and the two German scientists. 

Guy Bluford is the first African-American astronaut to space twice.  He would go into space 2 more times. 

Challenger would be destroyed with her entire crew in January 1986.

Celebrating Black History Month: Nichelle Nichols, first black woman to go where no man has gone before!

Beautiful Nichelle Nichols, African-American actress, has blazed more trails than anyone.  She portrayed Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, the original series, a major character which was unheard of for a black actress.  Uhura is also the first non-stereotypical character for an African-American woman.  Whoopi Goldberg said she ran through the house shouting, "Mama!  There's a black woman on TV and she ain't no maid!"

Nichelle also shared the first interracial on-screen kiss with William Shatner, which garnered a lot of attention, most of it good.  Nichols was tired of racist harrassment and was ready to resign from Star Trek when she met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who convinced her to remain in her role.

She was employed by NASA in the late 70's and  80's, recruiting astronauts of color, such as Guy Bluford, first African-American astronaut.  She inspired Mae Jemison to become an astronaut, the first black woman in space (after Lt. Uhura).

Celebrating Black History Month: NASA astronauts- Guy Bluford, Ronald McNair, Charles Bolden, Mae Jemison

Charles Bolden was appointed by President Barack Obama to become the first African-American Administrator of NASA.  He retired last month.  He became an astronaut in August 1981 and logged 680 hours in space on four flights: STS-61-C (Columbia); STS-31 (Discovery); STS-45 (Atlantis) on which he served as commander, and; STS-60 (Discovery) where he also served as commander.

Guion (Guy) Bluford, Jr., the first African-American in space, joined NASA as an astronaut in August 1979.  He has logged over 688 hours in space on four flights as mission specialist: STS-8 (Challenger); STS-61-A (Challenger); STS-39 (Discovery), and; STS-53 (Discovery).

Ronald McNair became an astronaut in 1978 and flew on mission STS-41-B aboard Challenger in 1984, the second African-American in space.  His second mission was STS-51-L also on the Challenger which exploded just 73 seconds after lift-off.  He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 2004 along with the crews of the Challenger and Columbia accidents.

Mae Jemison, the first African-American female in space, flew one mission on STS-47 (Endeavor) as mission specialist in 1992.  She left NASA the following year and is a Professor-at-Large at Cornell University.

Happy birthday, Lt. Uhura!

Nichelle Nichols, born December 28, 1932, is beloved by billions as Lt. Nyota Uhura from Star Trek.  Her role was one of the first, if not THE first, non-stereotypical role for an African-American.   She and William Shatner shared the first inter-racial kiss on television, which drew overwhelming positive reaction although a friend of mine told me his father almost made him stop watching Star Trek because of it.

While at NASA, she recruited astronauts Guion Bluford (first African-American astronaut) and Ronald McNair (another African-American astronaut lost in the Challenger explosion).  She was the inspiration for Mae C. Jemison to become the first African-American female astronaut.

Nichelle even has an asteroid named in her honor:  68410 Nichols discovered August 16, 2001.

Happy birthday, Guion Bluford, first African-American in space!

Dr. Guion Bluford, Jr., first African-American in space, was born November 23, 1942 in Philadelphia, PA.  He entered the NASA program as an astronaut in 1979 and blasted off August 30, 1983 on his first mission in the Space Shuttle Challenger.  Dr. Bluford made a total of four shuttle missions on the Challenger and the Discovery.

He retired from the Air Force in 1993.

 

Guion "Guy" Bluford, first African-American in space 1983

Seated (L-R): Daniel C. Brandenstein, Pilot, Richard H. Truly, Commander, and Guion S. Bluford, Jr., Mission Specialist. Standing (L-R): Dale A. Gardner, Mission Specialist, and William E. Thornton, Mission Specialist.

When the Space Shuttle Challenger blasted off August 30, 1983, it was the eighth shuttle mission, the third flight for Challenger and the first time an African-American went to space.  Dr. Guion "Guy" Bluford was born in Philadelphia and got his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT).  He obtained the rank of colonel so does that make him Colonel Dr. Bluford? Dr. Colonel Bluford?

STS-8 was the first shuttle to take off and land at night.  The crew returned to Earth September 5.