In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger’s STS-8 mission, former astronaut Dr. Guion “Guy” Bluford, the first African American to fly in space, discussed his historic flight at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on Aug. 28.
NASA Chief Historian Brian Odom moderated a panel discussion about Bluford’s experience and how his career has helped open doors for other astronauts, including those that will fly on NASA’s Artemis missions. Panelists included Bluford and award-winning film directors Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza. NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, who flew with Bluford on STS-53, gave introductory remarks.
A free screening of the National Geographic documentary “The Space Race” followed the panel discussion. Interviews with Bluford for the documentary were filmed at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in the Zero Gravity Research Facility.