List of African-American astronauts facts for kids

The first three African Americans to travel into space – Ron McNair, Guy Bluford and Fred Gregory

African-American astronauts are brave Americans of African descent who have traveled into space or trained to become astronauts. They have made amazing contributions to space exploration!

African Americans in Space: A Journey to the Stars

Pioneers Who Flew to Space

Many African-American astronauts have made history by traveling into space. They have piloted spacecraft, conducted spacewalks, and lived aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Each one has contributed greatly to our understanding of space and inspired countless others.

Meet the Astronauts: Their Amazing Flights

#	Image	Name & birth date	Key Achievements	Missions
1		Guion Bluford November 22, 1942	The very first African-American to fly into space.	STS-8 (August 30, 1983) Three other Space Shuttle missions
2		Ronald McNair October 21, 1950 †January 28, 1986	A brilliant physicist who tragically lost his life during the Space Shuttle Challenger mission.	STS-41-B (February 3, 1984) STS-51-L (January 28, 1986)
3		Frederick D. Gregory January 7, 1941	The first African American to pilot and command a Space Shuttle mission. He also served as acting Administrator of NASA in 2005.	STS-51-B (April 29, 1985) Two other Space Shuttle missions
4		Charles Bolden August 19, 1946	Flew on four Space Shuttle missions and later became the Administrator of NASA from 2009 to 2017.	STS-61-C (January 12, 1986) Three other Space Shuttle missions
5		Mae Jemison October 17, 1956	The first African-American woman to travel into space.	STS-47 (September 12, 1992)
6		Bernard A. Harris Jr. June 26, 1956	The first African American to walk in space, performing an EVA.	STS-55 (April 26, 1993) STS-63 (February 3, 1995)
7		Winston E. Scott August 6, 1950	A veteran astronaut who completed three spacewalks.	STS-72 (January 11, 1996) STS-87 (November 19, 1997)
8		Robert Curbeam March 5, 1962	Known for his seven spacewalks, helping to build and maintain the ISS.	STS-85 (August 7, 1997) Two other Space Shuttle missions
9		Michael P. Anderson December 25, 1959 †February 1, 2003	A mission specialist who tragically lost his life during the Space Shuttle Columbia mission.	STS-89 (January 22, 1998) STS-107 (January 16, 2003)
10		Stephanie Wilson September 27, 1966	Has flown on three Space Shuttle missions, spending many days in orbit.	STS-121 (July 4, 2006) Two other Space Shuttle missions
11		Joan Higginbotham August 3, 1964	Flew on a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station.	STS-116 (December 9, 2006)
12		Alvin Drew November 5, 1962	Completed two spacewalks during his time in space.	STS-118 (August 8, 2007) STS-133 (February 24, 2011)
13		Leland D. Melvin February 15, 1964	Flew on two Space Shuttle missions and later became NASA's Associate Administrator for Education.	STS-122 (February 7, 2008) STS-129 (November 16, 2009)
14		Robert Satcher September 22, 1965	Performed spacewalks during his mission to the ISS.	STS-129 (November 16, 2009)
15		Victor J. Glover April 30, 1976	The first African-American to join an ISS Expedition crew, living and working on the space station for an extended period.	SpaceX Crew-1 (November 15, 2020)
16		Sian Proctor March 28, 1970	The first African American female Spacecraft Pilot and the first African American commercial astronaut, flying on a private mission.	Inspiration4 (September 16, 2021)
17		Michael Strahan November 21, 1971	A well-known personality who became the first African American space tourist.	Blue Origin NS-19 (December 11, 2021)
18		Jessica Watkins May 14, 1988	The first African American woman to be an ISS Expedition crew member, living and working on the space station.	SpaceX Crew-4 (April 27, 2022)
19		Jaison Robinson September 25, 1980	Flew to space on a suborbital flight.	Blue Origin NS-21 (June 4, 2022)
20		Jeanette J. Epps November 2, 1970	Joined the SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station.	SpaceX Crew-8 (March 4, 2024)
21		Ed Dwight September 9, 1933	Considered the first African-American astronaut candidate. He flew to space in 2024, becoming the oldest person to travel to space at age 90.	Blue Origin NS-25 (May 19, 2024)
22		Aisha Bowe November 4, 1986	Both flew together on a suborbital spaceflight.	Blue Origin NS-31 (April 14, 2025)
		Gayle King December 28, 1954
23		Christopher Williams October 19, 1983	The first African American to travel to space aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.	Soyuz MS-28 (November 27, 2025)

Astronauts Who Paved the Way

Some incredible individuals were selected for astronaut training but did not have the chance to fly into space. Their dedication and hard work were crucial in advancing space exploration. They helped open doors for future generations of astronauts.

Training for Space: Unflown Heroes

Image	Name & birth date	Key Contributions
	Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. October 2, 1935 †December 8, 1967	The first African-American astronaut selected for training in 1967. He tragically passed away during an aircraft training accident.
	Livingston L. Holder Jr. September 29, 1956	An USAF astronaut who was part of the Manned Spaceflight Engineer Program.
	Michael E. Belt September 9, 1957	An astronaut and payload specialist for a US Army project. He underwent nine months of astronaut training.
	Yvonne Cagle April 24, 1959	A NASA astronaut who has contributed to space missions through her work in NASA management.