Aerospace engineering · Space science · Aviation
Guion “Guy” Bluford
Born 1942
Aerospace engineer and pilot Guion “Guy” Bluford became the first African American to fly in space on August 30, 1983. He served as a mission specialist on four shuttle flights. His work included spacecraft systems and experiments; his first mission’s crew deployed a communications satellite for India and tested the shuttle’s robotic arm.[1],[2],[3]
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Aerospace engineer and pilot Guion “Guy” Bluford became the first African American to fly in space on August 30, 1983. He served as a mission specialist on four shuttle flights. His work included spacecraft systems and experiments; his first mission’s crew deployed a communications satellite for India and tested the shuttle’s robotic arm.[1],[2],[3]
Local connection. Bluford’s documented connections include Philadelphia, Houston, and Ohio. His space research provides a national connection for Bay Area classrooms studying engineering, satellites, and teamwork.
Impact reached: Space shuttle engineering and research; India, through the STS-8 crew’s deployment of INSAT-1B; Students exploring aviation and space science. (Impact describes who was reached; it is not a place of residence.)
From institutional research
Deeper context
NASA: Guion S. Bluford Jr. biographical data
NASA
According to NASA: 1964 — Earns an aerospace engineering degree: Graduates from Pennsylvania State University. 1978 — Doctorate and NASA selection: Earns his aerospace engineering doctorate and is selected for NASA’s astronaut class. 1992 — Completes his fourth spaceflight: STS-53 returns to Earth; Bluford’s four missions total more than 688 hours in space.[4]
NASA: Former Astronaut Guion Bluford
NASA
According to NASA: 1983 — First African American to fly in space: Launches aboard Challenger as a mission specialist on STS-8.[5]
Inquiry & making
Inquiry and making prompt
Bluford’s crew tested a robotic arm in space. With a partner, design a paper or cardboard grabber that can move a light object. Which change makes it work better?
Places
Where Guion was born, had roots or studied, and worked — distinguished from where their impact reached.
- Born
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Roots / education
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
- Worked
- Houston, Texas (NASA Johnson Space Center); Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Greenbelt, Maryland; Cleveland, Ohio
| Relationship | Documented place | Map point | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birthplace | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Philadelphia city, PACensus representative point | [1][2][3] |
| Roots / education | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Philadelphia city, PACensus representative point | [1][2][3] |
| Roots / education | Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio | Wright-Patterson AFB CDP, OHCensus representative point | [1][2][3] |
| Work | Houston, Texas (NASA Johnson Space Center) | Houston city, TXCensus representative point | [1][2][3] |
| Work | Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio | Wright-Patterson AFB CDP, OHCensus representative point | [1][2][3] |
| Work | Greenbelt, Maryland | Greenbelt city, MDCensus representative point | [1][2][3] |
| Work | Cleveland, Ohio | Cleveland city, OHCensus representative point | [1][2][3] |
| Roots / education | Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania | Not mapped — Institution is documented but no campus municipality is asserted by this profile; do not infer a point from the university name. | |
Timeline
1942-11-22
1964
Earns an aerospace engineering degree: Graduates from Pennsylvania State University.[1],[4]
1978
Doctorate and NASA selection: Earns his aerospace engineering doctorate and is selected for NASA’s astronaut class.[1],[2],[4],[5]
1983-08-30
First African American to fly in space: Launches aboard Challenger as a mission specialist on STS-8.[2],[3],[5]
1992-12-09
Completes his fourth spaceflight: STS-53 returns to Earth; Bluford’s four missions total more than 688 hours in space.[1],[4]
Gallery
Portrait only in this edition; no reuse-supported contextual media has been verified for this figure yet.
References
- [1]NASA: Guion S. Bluford Jr. biographical data
Supports: November 22, 1942 birth; Philadelphia schooling; engineering degrees; Wright-Patterson, Greenbelt, and Cleveland work; four shuttle missions.
- [2]NASA: Former Astronaut Guion Bluford
Supports: Nickname Guy; astronaut selection in 1978; first African American spaceflight; NASA Johnson Space Center training and four flights.
- [3]NASA: STS-8
Supports: August 30, 1983 launch; Bluford as mission specialist; INSAT-1B deployment; robotic arm testing and other experiments.
- [4]NASA: Guion S. Bluford Jr. biographical data
NASA
Supports: 1964 — Earns an aerospace engineering degree: Graduates from Pennsylvania State University. 1978 — Doctorate and NASA selection: Earns his aerospace engineering doctorate and is selected for NASA’s astronaut class. 1992 — Completes his fourth spaceflight: STS-53 returns to Earth; Bluford’s four missions total more than 688 hours in space.
- [5]NASA: Former Astronaut Guion Bluford
NASA
Supports: 1983 — First African American to fly in space: Launches aboard Challenger as a mission specialist on STS-8.
Last reviewed 2026-11-08 · Requested astronaut addition · Record ID guion-bluford. A curated, source-informed article — not openly editable and not independently scholar-reviewed. Corrections process.