First African Americans In Space ...

For Black History Month, periodically I will be spotlighting individuals who were the 3rd to be something or do something. I am choosing the 3rd* because when individuals are spotlighted, it is often the 1st or 2nd person to do something, not the 3rd, so I hope to learn about people I don't know as much about. *In general, there will be a few exceptions to the "3rd rule."

Today I am spotlighting the first three African American Men and the first three African American Woman in space since honestly I miscounted and started this blog thinking Ronald E. McNair was the 3rd African American in Space where as he was the 2nd but wanted to keep his saxophone so I am just expanding the scope of this post LOL (Throwing away the plan lol)

Today I am highlighting the first African American's in space (according to NASA)

Guy Bluford: 1st African American in Space

Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. is an American aerospace engineer, retired United States Air Force officer and fighter pilot, and former NASA astronaut, in which capacity he became the first African American to go to space. While assigned to NASA, he remained a USAF officer rising to the rank of colonel.

Ronald E. McNair: 2nd African American in Space

 

Interesting facts: 

McNair, an accomplished jazz saxophonist, became the first person to play a soprano sax in space.

Space limitations in the shuttle precluded flying McNair’s favorite tenor sax, so he learned to play the smaller version of the instrument for his space flight.

Frederick Gregory: 3rd African American in Space

On his second trip into space, Gregory flew as the first African American commander of a space shuttle, the STS-33 mission of Discovery in November 1989. He served as NASA’s first African American deputy administrator from 2002 until his retirement from the agency in 2005.

Dr. Mae C. Jemison: 1st African American Woman in Space

Selected as an astronaut in 1987, physician Dr. Mae C. Jemison became the first African American woman to fly in space in 1992 as a mission specialist on STS-47.

Stephanie Wilson: 2nd African American Woman in Space

Selected by NASA as an astronaut in 1996, aerospace engineer Stephanie D. Wilson completed her first mission in July 2006 aboard the space shuttle Discovery.

Joan Higginbotham: 3rd African American Woman in Space

Selected in the astronaut class of 1996, electrical engineer Joan E. Higginbotham completed her single spaceflight in December 2006, the 13-day STS-116 mission aboard space shuttle Discovery. With Curbeam on the same crew, this marked the first time that two African American astronauts flew in space at the same time.