America’s First Black Astronaut Candidate Will Finally Soar Into Space At 90 Years Old

The upcoming New Shepard-25 mission by Blue Origin marks a significant moment for former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, a Kansas City native who was initially selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the first Black astronaut candidate in the United States.

Despite his historic selection, Dwight was not ultimately chosen for the NASA Astronaut Corps, missing out on the opportunity to fly to space.

Now, six decades later, Ed Dwight is set to embark on the New Shepard mission, sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity, a nonprofit changing global perspectives by democratizing access to space for all of humanity, with additional support from the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Foundation. 

This mission, the seventh human flight and 25th program by Blue Origin, represents a full-circle moment for Dwight, who pursued a career as an entrepreneur and sculptor, creating monuments commemorating Black historical leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglas, according to a news release by Blue Origin.

Joining Dwight on the New Shepard-25 mission will be Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, and Gopi Thotakura. Each member of the six-astronaut crew will carry postcards created by students as part of Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s foundation aimed at inspiring the next generation to explore STEAM careers.

“Club for the Future is proud to make space accessible to all humans through the Postcards to Space program,” according to a press release. about the space mission. “Anyone can draw or write their vision of the future on a postcard and Blue Origin will fly it to space and back on a future New Shepard mission. Club for the Future will then stamp them ‘flown to space’ and return them to the creator.”

The mission underscores Blue Origin’s commitment to making space accessible to all humans and promoting STEAM education. As of now, the date for the New Shepard-25 mission has not been announced.