Houston Airports joins the nation in celebrating Edward Dwight, a local artist and America's first Black astronaut candidate. On Sunday, May 19, at the age of 90, he finally fulfilled his lifelong dream of reaching space.

Dwight, who is also an artist with sculptures on display across Houston, was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate in the early 1960s. Despite graduating in the top half of a test pilot school and having the support of President John F. Kennedy for NASA’s early astronaut corps, Dwight was not selected for the 1963 class which included eventual Gemini and Apollo astronauts, including Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. 

Dwight's historic flight aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket marks a significant moment in aerospace history. He shared a few minutes of weightlessness with five other passengers who were rocketed in a suborbital capsule that skimmed space on a roughly 10-minute flight. 

Emerging from the capsule, a beaming Dwight shook two fists in the air in triumph.

"Fantastic! A life-changing experience. Everyone needs to do this!" he remarked. "I didn't know I needed this in my life, but now I need it in my life."

The brief flight from West Texas made Dwight the new record-holder for the oldest person in space – nearly two months older than actor William Shatner, who went up in 2021.  This was Blue Origin’s seventh time flying space tourists. Dwight, a sculptor from Denver, was joined by four business entrepreneurs from the U.S. and France and a retired accountant. Their ticket prices were not disclosed; Dwight’s seat was sponsored in part by the nonprofit Space for Humanity.

"We are incredibly proud to have Ed Dwight as part of the Houston community," said Jim Szczesniak, Director of Aviation for Houston Airports. His perseverance and dedication to his dreams inspire us all. It's truly remarkable to see him fulfill his childhood ambition of reaching space, especially at the age of 90."

NASA didn’t select Black astronauts until 1978, and Guion Bluford became the first African American in space in 1983. Three years earlier, the Soviets launched the first Black astronaut, Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez, a Cuban of African descent.

After leaving the military in 1966, Dwight joined IBM and started a construction company before earning a master’s degree in sculpture in the late 1970s. He’s since dedicated himself to art. His sculptures focus on Black history and include memorials and monuments across the country. Several of his sculptures have flown into space, and now, Dwight has, too. 

His beloved sculpture of Mickey Leland is prominently displayed inside Terminal D at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). 

"Reaching space has been a dream of mine since I was a child," said Ed Dwight upon his return to Earth. "It was absolutely fantastic! A life-changing experience. Everybody needs to do this!"

“Through our thoughtfully curated art program, Houston Airports is committed to spotlighting and celebrating diversity and inclusion in our terminals,” said Alton DuLaney, Curator of Public Art for Houston Airports. “We’re thrilled to have his work on display at Bush Airport and we join the world in championing Dwight as he continues to impress the relentless and necessary lessons that come from breaking down barriers and pursuing one’s passions.” 

About the Mickey Leland Sculpture at Bush Airport

A beloved bronze sculpture created by Dwight depicts George Thomas “Mickey” Leland, the five-term Congressman from Houston who died during a food relief mission to Ethiopia in 1989. 

Well-respected in his community, Leland is honored at Bush Airport for his selfless generosity to those in need, his service to the 18^th Congressional District he served, and his service to the world at large. The statue's gesture, with a hand extended, represents Congressman Leland reaching out to children, always available to lend a helping hand. The sculpture was commissioned by the City of Houston in 1990, when the new international airport terminal was named for the late Congressman. 

About Ed Dwight

Ed Dwight started his career as a U.S. Air Force test pilot and was the first African American to become an astronaut candidate for NASA. He resigned from the USAF in 1966 in protest of the racial politics of the area and went back to school. He received his MFA from the University of Denver in 1977. Since then, Dwight has been commissioned to create more than 100 celebrated public sculptures and monuments across the country. His sculpture of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stands near the entrance of Houston’s Centennial Gardens at Hermann Park. Dwight lives and works in Denver, Colorado where his sculpture foundry is one of the largest privately owned sculpture production facilities in the U.S.