Ed Dwight finally reached space more than 60 years after making headlines as the United States’ first Black astronaut candidate. The 90-year-old retired Air Force Captain lifted off on Sunday, May 19, aboard Blue Origin’s 25th New Shepard sub-orbital mission. Launching with five other passengers at 9:35 a.m. CDT (1435 GMT) from the company’s West Texas facility, Dwight reached an altitude of 65.8 miles (105.9 km), earning him astronaut status by the standards of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and the Association of Space Explorers.
