(TheConservativeTimes.org) – Ed Dwight, who is the United States’ first black astronaut candidate has now just become the oldest person to go to space. Blue Origin has just launched the New Shepard NS-25 spacecraft on its first human flight in two years.
Dwight, who is ninety years old, took his first trip to space more than sixty years after John F Kennedy appointed him in the sixties to the Aerospace Research Pilot School, which is the Air Force program from which NASA astronauts are chosen. Despite this, Dwight was not chosen for NASA after Kennedy’s assassination.
This was the NS-25’s seventh human flight to space and it made Dwight the oldest person to make it to space and back. Upon exiting the spacecraft, Dwight said “Long time coming” as he reflected on the years it’s taken him to get into space. He continued, “It was absolutely terrific. I thought I really didn’t need this in my life but now I need it in my life. I am ecstatic. It was a life-changing experience. Everybody needs to do this.”
The spacecraft lifted off from Texas with five other people aboard. This has come two years after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the space tourist program due to a mid-flight failure that occurred on an uncrewed mission.
Dwight’s seat on Blue Origin was sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity, and Charles Bolden, who was the first Black NASA administrator, wished him luck upon takeoff.
Bolden congratulated Dwight, saying, “You’ve waited a long time for this opportunity and all of us who stand on your shoulders could not be happier.”
“I know how much you have dreamed about this and I want you to take some time while you are flying to suck it all up and take it all in. You deserve every moment of this. You’ve been a role model and mentor for many of us for so long and we’re with you there in spirit,” said Bolden
The oldest to fly to space was previously Actor William Shatner who was ninety years old as well, but Dwight is older than him by a month which now puts him as the oldest to fly to space.
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