Guy Bluford, First African American in Space: 40 Years of Inspiration
In 1983, NASA’s Guy Bluford broke barriers and made history as the first African American astronaut in space. Hear from Bluford himself, see footage from his Space Shuttle missions, and celebrate the milestones that forever changed the landscape of space exploration.
Bluford’s first mission was STS-8, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Aug. 30, 1983. This was the third flight for the Challenger orbiter, and the first mission with a night launch and night landing. During the mission, the STS-8 crew deployed the Indian National Satellite (INSAT-1B), operated the Canadian-built RMS with the Payload Flight Test Article (PFTA), operated the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) with live cell samples, conducted medical measurements to understand biophysiological effects of spaceflight, and activated four “Getaway Special” canisters. STS-8 completed 98 orbits of the Earth in 145 hours before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on Sept. 5, 1983.
Producer: Jori Kates
Editor: Sonnet Apple
Music: Universal Production Music
Credit: NASA
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Adam Driver Asks NASA About Asteroids
The dinosaurs went extinct by an asteroid impact many years ago. Here at NASA and around the world, there are teams of experts making sure we can actually do something about it if an asteroid were to ever threaten Earth. We’re studying these rocky, airless remnants to better understand the early formation of our solar system.
“65” actor Adam Driver and NASA Planetary Defender Kelly Fast discuss how we find, track, and monitor near-Earth asteroids, as well as test technologies that could one day be used to prevent a potential impact, should a hazardous asteroid be discovered in the future. The duo also talks about the OSIRIS-REx mission and the asteroid sample the spacecraft will bring to Earth this September.
For more information on NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office: https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense
For more on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission: https://nasa.gov/osirisrex
Follow NASA’s Asteroid Watch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AsteroidWatch
Follow NASA Solar System on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: https://twitter.com/NASASolarSystem, https://www.facebook.com/NASASolarSystem/, https://www.instagram.com/nasasolarsystem/?hl=en
Producers: Scott Bednar, Jessica Wilde, Emily Furfaro, Josh Handal
Editor/Graphics: Matthew Schara
Movie Footage courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment 65
Credit: NASA
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