Guion S. Bluford Jr. was born on November 22, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A decorated Air Force pilot, aerospace engineer, and NASA astronaut, Bluford made history on August 30, 1983, when he became the first African American to travel into space, serving as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-8). Over the course of his NASA career, he flew on four space missions, logging over 688 hours in space.
Bluford’s legacy continues to inspire generations in the fields of STEM, aviation, and space exploration.
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