ON 30 AUGUST 1983,
Guy Bluford was a crew member aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger when it launched from Kennedy Space Station on its third mission, making Bluford the first Black astronaut to fly to space. Here he reflects on the importance of that achievement and the role he filled – and offers advice to young people seeking their way in the world.
What would you tell someone who wants to pursue a career as an astronaut, or in aerospace engineering? / I tell kids to chase their passions. I did not know as a kid that I would want to be an astronaut. I didn’t even think about flying. But I did find that I was passionate about aeroplanes. I wanted to learn as much as I could about them. And my whole career has been geared towards learning as much as possible about aeroplanes and spacecraft.
The possibility of being an astronaut is very small. We just selected astronauts maybe a couple years ago; 18 000 people applied and only 12 got selected. So you want to make sure that you’re doing a job that you really enjoy, even if you don’t become an astronaut.
This story is from the March/April 2022 edition of Popular Mechanics South Africa.
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This story is from the March/April 2022 edition of Popular Mechanics South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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