After 60 years, the country’s first black astronaut candidate travels to space

Published May 20, 2024 2:37am ET



Ed Dwight was named a candidate for NASA’s astronaut corps by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. On Sunday, he finally made it to space. 

Dwight, 90, traveled to space aboard a capsule with Blue Origin, the aerospace company owned by Jeff Bezos. The flight departed from West Texas and lasted about 10 minutes, according to the Associated Press. He was one of six passengers to make the journey on Sunday.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.