World Report: February 14, 2003 Vol.8 No.17
- This Issue:
- Table of Contents
- Cover Story
- Cover Story - Spanish Version
- Mini-Lesson
- Comprehension Quiz
- Teacher's Guide and Worksheets
>Profiles in African American History: Guion Bluford Jr.
Guion "Guy" S. Bluford Jr. has had one high-flying career. On August 30, 1983, aboard the space shuttle Challenger, Bluford became the first African American to travel into space.
Bluford was born in 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He took his first plane ride at age 7 and was hooked. "As a kid growing up in the inner city, I became fascinated with space, especially jet and rocket engines," he told TFK. He went on to fly F-4 fighter jets in the Vietnam War in the 1960s and '70s. Later, he taught other pilots to fly.
Bluford became a NASA astronaut in 1979. "It's a great experience working in space, especially the view out the window!" he says. Bluford flew four shuttle missions and spent 688 hours in space.
Bluford was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997 and now works for the Aerospace Corporation. Regarding the space program's future, he said, "Flying in space is well worth the risks in order to help all of us improve our way of life."
