List of African-American astronauts


astronauts are Americans of African descent who have either traveled into space or been part of an astronaut program.

African-American astronauts

Traveled into space

Never traveled into space

Often cited as the first African-American astronaut candidate

ImageName
Birth date		NoteSources
Ed Dwight
September 9, 1933
Ed Dwight made it to the second round of an Air Force program from which NASA selected astronauts, but was not selected by NASA to be an astronaut. Resigned from the Air Force in 1966 due to racial politics. In July, 1961, Frederick Dutton, special assistant to the president, wrote to Adam Yarmolinsky, special assistant to the secretary of defense to say that it was important "that for symbolic purposes in crossing the frontiers of space, this country would have qualified members from minority backgrounds." Shortly after, General Curtis LeMay, chief of the air force told Chuck Yeager, who was running Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base that, " Bobby Kennedy wants a colored in space. Get one into your course." This communication placed Ed Dwight on a career track that could have sent him into outer space. Dwight proceeded to Phase II of ARPS, but was not selected by NASA to be an astronaut.