After 60 years, the countrys first black astronaut candidate gets to travel to space – Washington Examiner

Ed Dwight was named a candidate for NASAs astronaut corps by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. On Sunday, he finally made it to space.

Dwight, 90, traveled to space aboard a capsule with Blue Origin, the aerospace company owned by Jeff Bezos. The flight departed from West Texas and lasted about 10 minutes, according to theAssociated Press.He was one of six passengers to make the journey on Sunday.

I thought I reallydidnt need this in my life,Dwight said after the flight. But, now, I need it in my life. I am ecstatic.

Dwight became the new record-holder for the oldest person ever to travel to space. He is about two months older than actor William Shatner, who previously set the record in 2021 during his space flight.

His journey to get to space spanned over seven decades.

Dwight enlisted in the Air Force in 1953 and eventuallyearned the rank of captainafter several years of service. After not being selected by NASA as an astronaut, he remained in the Air Force until 1966. Later, Dwight worked as an engineer, real estate, and business owner before becoming a renowned sculptor.

While Dwight was nominated in 1963 to be in the Astronaut Corps, it wasnt until 1978 that the first black astronaut was accepted into NASA. Five years later, in 1983, Guion Bluford became the first black astronaut to travel to space aboard the Space ShuttleChallenger.

In 2020, Dwight was named an honorary memberof the Space Force.

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The Blue Origin flight into space marks a comeback of sorts for Bezoss company. It was the first flight into space with a crew in almost two years. Previously, Blue Origin grounded all its flightsafter an accident in 2022in which engine trouble caused an unmanned capsule to come apart in the sky in midflight.

Blue Origins commercial flight into space on Sunday was the companys seventh journey with passengers.

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After 60 years, the countrys first black astronaut candidate gets to travel to space - Washington Examiner