After a lifetime of waiting, 90-year-old Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate, is set to realize his dream of space travel. Blue Origin, the space venture company founded by Jeff Bezos, has announced that Dwight will be among the crew members for the New Shepard mission, marking a historic moment for the veteran pilot.
In a statement, Blue Origin acknowledged Dwight’s pivotal role in the nation’s space program, noting that he was initially selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the first Black astronaut candidate. Despite his groundbreaking selection, Dwight never had the opportunity to venture beyond Earth’s atmosphere—a dream that will now be fulfilled.
Dwight’s inclusion in the six-person crew for the NS-25 mission not only represents a triumph for him personally but also offers him the chance to set a new record as the oldest person to journey into space, surpassing the previous milestone set by Wally Funk during her Blue Origin flight.
The cost of Dwight’s ticket for the historic voyage, estimated at $28 million in 2021, will be covered by Space for Humanity and the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Foundation, ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder his participation.
Also, read: Mali’s Junta Imposes Media Ban on Political Reporting
Dwight’s journey to space is the culmination of a remarkable life journey. A former fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, he was handpicked by President Kennedy to undergo training as part of the U.S. Air Force program that later produced NASA’s Mercury 7 astronauts. Despite his exemplary qualifications and commendations, Dwight was not selected by NASA when the time came to choose astronauts from the pool of candidates recommended by the Air Force.
Undeterred by this setback, Dwight pursued diverse career paths, including engineering, real estate, and employment at IBM. In the mid-1970s, he discovered a passion for art and sculpting, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree and gaining renown for his creations, which include notable monuments such as the Black Patriots Memorial and the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial.
As the date for the upcoming flight awaits announcement, anticipation builds not only for Dwight but also for the other members of the Blue Origin crew: Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, and Gopi Thotakura. Their collective journey symbolizes a new chapter in space exploration, guided by the spirit of inclusion and the pursuit of dreams, no matter one’s age or background.
