Guion Bluford Reaches Space

Guion Bluford grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He liked to learn about planes and how they fly.

Bluford went to college to study how to design planes. Later, he became a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He also went back to school to learn more about flight.

In 1978, NASA chose Bluford to train as an astronaut. An astronaut is a person who travels into space. Bluford trained with other people who would fly and work in space, too.

On August 30, 1983, Bluford was ready for his first trip. He and four other crew members sat inside the space shuttle Challenger. A space shuttle was a kind of spaceship that could carry people and supplies into space.

Challenger lifted off at night from Florida. Its bright rockets lit up the dark sky. Bluford became the first Black American to travel into space.

The crew had work to do. They sent a satellite into space. A satellite is an object that travels around Earth. This one could help send messages over long distances.

The crew also used a robot arm on the shuttle. They tested how it could move a large object in space. Each crew member had jobs to do, and they worked as a team.

After about six days in space, Challenger landed in California. Bluford later flew on three more space trips. His first flight was a historic step in the story of space travel.