PEACHTREE CITY, USA – For Black History Month, Aventure honors Guion ‘Guy’ Bluford. As the first African American to travel to space, his historic journey getting there has paved the way for future generations to reach new heights.
Bluford was born on November 22, 1942 in Philadelphia. He was raised by his father, a mechanical engineer, and mother, a special education teacher. At an early age he knew he wanted to pursue a career in the aerospace industry.
Bluford earned his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering in 1964, and would go on to earn a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering in 1974, a Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in laser physics in 1978, and a Master in Business Administration in 1987.
He served in the U.S. Air Force, where he logged over 5,200 hours of jet flight time during his career. In 1978, Bluford became a NASA astronaut. His technical assignments included working with space station operations, remote manipulator systems, spacelab systems and experiments, and space shuttle systems. He spent 688 hours in space across four missions during his career.
“I decided as a kid that I wanted to be an aerospace engineer, so I chased the dream,” Bluford said in a speech. “I wanted…not only be a leader for African Americans on the ground, but also a leader in helping put other Black astronauts into space with me.”
