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Who became the first African American astronaut to fly in space, in 1983?

Guion 'Guy' Bluford, on shuttle mission STS-8.

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  1. Guion Bluford ✔
  2. Ronald McNair
  3. Frederick Gregory

Why: Guion Bluford launched on STS-8 on August 30, 1983. He was an Air Force pilot with a doctorate in aerospace engineering.

Huh, didn't know that: STS-8 was also the first shuttle mission to launch and land at night.

The dad joke
Why did the shuttle launch at night? It wanted to be a shooting star.
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References

Answer: Guion Bluford. Guion Bluford launched on STS-8 on August 30, 1983. He was an Air Force pilot with a doctorate in aerospace engineering.

  1. NASA, Former Astronaut Guion Bluford www.nasa.gov/former-astronaut-guion-bluford
    became NASA's first African-American astronaut to go to space with his launch on STS-8 on August 30, 1983.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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