Ed Dwight, a 90-year-old sculptor and former Air Force test pilot, achieved a long-awaited dream on Sunday (May 19) when he finally ventured into space. Six decades after being denied the opportunity to become America’s first Black astronaut, Dwight soared into the cosmos aboard Jeff Bezos’ rocket.
Who is Ed Dwight?
In 1961, as an Air Force pilot, Dwight was selected by President John F. Kennedy as a candidate for NASA’s early astronaut corps. However, he was not chosen for the 1963 class. It wasn’t until 1978 that NASA selected its first Black astronauts, with Guion Bluford becoming the first African American in space in 1983.
Historic flight
Jeff Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin, launched its NS-25 mission from West Texas at 10:37 am (local time). Dwight, along with five other passengers, experienced a few minutes of weightlessness on the roughly 10-minute flight that skimmed the edge of space.
“It was a life-changing experience,” Dwight, 90, said shortly after exiting the capsule, as quoted by the Associated Press. “I thought I really didn’t need this in my life,” he added. “But now, I need it in my life… I am ecstatic.”
Breaking Records
While Dwight couldn’t make history as the first Black astronaut, he set a new record by becoming the world’s oldest person in space, surpassing William Shatner, who flew on a Blue Origin flight in October 2021. Dwight, at 90, is two months older than the ‘Star Trek’ actor.
Dwight, who retired from the US Air Force in 1966, later became an entrepreneur before pursuing a career as a sculptor. The Denver, Colorado native joined four business entrepreneurs from the United States and France, and a retired accountant on this historic flight. Although the ticket prices were not disclosed, Dwight’s seat was partially sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity.
Blue Origin’s return to space
Sunday’s flight marked Blue Origin’s first crew launch in nearly two years, following a 2022 accident involving its New Shepard rocket.
In an interview with National Geographic last year, Dwight mentioned he had “no intention of being an astronaut” and that it was the “last thing on my bucket list.”
Ed Dwight’s journey to space, though delayed, stands as a testament to perseverance and the boundless possibilities of human ambition.