space agency had to battle against segregation and discrimination. In the beginning, talented African Americans looking for opportunities to serve in the U.S. The trio-Guion Bluford, Frederick Gregory, and Ronald McNair-had all been chosen in 1978 as part of Group 8, the first group of astronauts chosen for the space shuttle program. He had never considered applying to NASA, despite the recent inclusion of three fellow African Americans in the astronaut program. In the late 1970s, Bolden was a talented Marine Corps test pilot stationed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. You might say Bolden never would have made that journey without the encouragement of another historic figure. In 28 years, Bolden went from a Black man with a seemingly impossible dream to one of NASA’s first Black astronauts and the first African-American head of NASA. In many ways, Bolden’s life story embodies NASA’s journey toward increasing opportunities for people of color. served as a test pilot and combat fighter pilot. “I didn’t think I had a chance,” Bolden told FLYING. remembers the days when he thought it was nearly impossible for a Black man to go to space. The fact that gender and racial diversity have become an official requirement of Artemis serves as a stark reminder of NASA’s long journey from its beginnings as a virtually all-white, all-male space agency.įormer astronaut, ex-NASA administrator, and retired U.S. That historic announcement, revealed in its FY 2022 budget, effectively made diversity and inclusion an official goal of the Artemis Program, whose first uncrewed launch is expected to lift off later this year. Among those astronauts setting foot on the lunar surface will be a woman and a person of color. 25: Cal Poly HumboldtĪs soon as 2025, NASA is planning to send human explorers to the moon for the first time in more than half a century. 18: From “Hidden Figures” to “Artemis” | Feb. 15: Meet Four African Americans Making a Difference in Aviation | Feb. 10: Why Aren’t There More Black Pilots in the Air Force? | Feb. 1: African American Pioneers in Flight and Space | Feb.
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Editor’s Note: This article is part of a month-long series celebrating Black History Month through aviation: Feb.
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