He is the oldest person to ever go to space. Ed Dwight is the first black person in the US to be considered for astronaut duty. Blue Origin just sent the New Shepard NS-25 spaceship into space for the first time in two years with people on board.
Dwight, who is now 90 years old, went to space for the first time more than sixty years after John F. Kennedy put him in charge of the Aerospace Research Pilot School, which is the Air Force school that chooses NASA astronauts. Even so, Dwight was not picked for NASA after Kennedy was killed.
Dwight was the oldest person to go to space and come back. This was the NS-25’s seventh trip with people. Dwight said, “Long time coming” as he got off the spaceship and thought about how long it had taken him to get into space. He went on, “It was absolutely fantastic.” I didn’t think I needed this in my life before, but now I do. I’m thrilled. It was an event that changed my life. This is something that everyone must do.
The spaceship took off from Texas with five other people on board. This happened two years after the Federal Aviation Administration stopped the space tourist program because of a problem that happened in the middle of a journey without any people on board.
Space for Humanity, a non-profit organization, paid for Dwight’s seat on Blue Origin. Charles Bolden, the first Black NASA chief, wished him luck as the rocket took off.
Bolden told Dwight, “You’ve waited a long time for this chance, and all of us who stand on your shoulders could not be happier.”
I know this is something you’ve thought about for a long time. I want you to take some time while you’re in the air to really enjoy it. You deserve every second of this. “You’ve been an inspiration and guide for many of us for a long time, and we’re with you in spirit,” Bolden said.
William Shatner, an actor who was also ninety years old, was the oldest person to fly to space before Dwight. Now that Dwight is older by one month, he is the oldest person to fly to space.
