Ed Dwight joins Jeff Bezos' rocket company for historic space flight

Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate, finally went to space at the age of 90. He flew with Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, on a short 10-minute flight. Dwight, a sculptor from Denver, was joined by four business entrepreneurs and a retired accountant. Their ticket prices were not shared; Dwight’s seat was sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity. Dwight was recommended by the Air Force to NASA as a potential astronaut, but he was not chosen in 1963. NASA did not select Black astronauts until 1978, with Guion Bluford becoming the first African American in space in 1983. Before his space journey, Dwight served in the military, worked at IBM, and started a construction company. Later, he earned a master’s degree in sculpture and focused on creating art pieces related to Black history, including memorials and monuments across the country. Some of his sculptures have even been sent to space. The flight with Blue Origin marked Dwight’s first experience of weightlessness in space. After the flight, he expressed that he initially thought he didn’t need this experience in his life, but now he feels differently. This launch was Blue Origin’s first crewed mission in almost two years. The capsule skimmed space with Dwight and the other passengers, providing them with a brief taste of space travel.