Photo: official STS-8 crew portrait in flight suits. Seated from left to right are Daniel C. Brandenstein, pilot; Richard H. Truly, commander; and Guion S. Bluford Jr., mission specialist. Standing from left to right are Dale A. Gardner, mission specialist; and William E. Thornton, mission specialist. Credit: NASA; Wikimedia Commons.

On This Day: Dr. Guion Bluford Became 1st African American in Space

By Tony Pettinato on August 30, 2021

On 30 August 1983, Dr. Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. became the first African American in space, as a member of the crew of the space shuttle Challenger... (Read More)

Photo: the Challenger crew. In the back row from left to right: Ellison S. Onizuka, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, and Judy Resnik. In the front row from left to right: Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, and Ron McNair. Credit: NASA; Wikimedia Commons.

On This Day: Students Stunned as Space Shuttle ‘Challenger’ Explodes

By Tony Pettinato on January 28, 2019

An article about the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger on 28 January 1986, killing all seven crew members and stunning teachers and students... (Read More)

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