On a recent suborbital Blue Origin flight, six more people gained the credentials to call themselves astronauts (or, more accurately, space travellers). However, the moment was of especial importance for one passenger, who had waited 63 years to reach space. Ed Dwight was originally selected as an astronaut candidate in 1961 – the first Black candidate. He finally reached his destination aged 90.
The launch
Ed Dwight in his USAF Captain’s uniform. Courtesy: Wikipedia/USAF
Why did Dwight have to wait so long?
In a possible racist injustice, NASA failed to select US Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, a person of colour with a degree in aeronautical engineering, for the class entry of 1963. The decision was particularly dubious given Dwight’s senior ranking in the Air Force and lobbying on his behalf by then US President John F. Kennedy and his brother Bobby Kennedy. It has since been alleged that US Air Force officers and even some managers within NASA deliberately stood in the way of Dwight’s selection.
