Jeff Bezos' rocket company Blue Origin launched America's first Black astronaut candidate and five other passengers into near space on Sunday in a 10-minute flight that had a few minutes of weightlessness.
Among those on board was Ed Dwight. He finally made it into space 60 years after being named a finalist for the space program as the nation's first Black astronaut candidate.
Dwight, 90, also broke a record for the oldest person to go into space.
"I thought I really didn't need this in my life," Dwight quipped. "But, now, I need it in may life .... I am ecstatic."
Dwight was among the potential astronauts the Air Force recommended to NASA. But he wasn't chosen for the 1963 class.
After leaving the military in 1966, Dwight joined IBM and started a construction company.
It was Blue Origin's first crew launch in nearly two years after being grounded following an accident.
This was Blue Origin's seventh time flying space tourists and the 25th flight for the New Shepard program.
"A big thank you to our astronaut customers for the opportunity to provide this life-changing experience," said Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President, New Shepard. "Each of you are pioneers helping to advance our mission to build a road to space for the benefit of Earth."
