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India Today
2 days ago
- Science
- India Today
First black astronaut Robert Lawrence broke barriers but died before spaceflight
On a chilly December morning in 1967, Major Robert Henry LawrenceJr., the first Black astronaut selected by the US military, climbed into a sleek F104 jet at Edwards Air Force Base in California to demonstrate a key landing later, his space dream ended abruptly. His aircraft crashed, and his legacy went up in smoke and tears rather than in orbit. He was only breaking racial grounds as the first African-American ever on a manned space programme, selected on June 30, 1967, he never got to fly into space. But his story became a beacon for ambition, breaking both racial and professional barriers IN CHICAGO AND THE MAKING OF A PILOTSCHOLARGrowing up in Chicago, Lawrence showed early promise. Born on 2 October 1935, he graduated high school at just sixteen, finishing among the top of his class. His spare hours saw him building model planes and mastering he entered Bradley University, he carried that spark into Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), a programme designed to train college students to become commissioned officers in the US Armed Forces. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) advertisementBy twenty, he held a degree in chemistry, had earned a commission as an Air Force officer, and became a pilot-instructor flying T33 jets in his curiosity did not stop; it demanded more. So he returned to school -- this time at Ohio State University, where in 1965 he earned a PhD in physical COLOUR BARRIERS IN THE SPACE PROGRAMMEBy 1967, he had racked up over 2,500 flight hours, mostly in jets, and flew Lockheed F104 Starfighters to test maneuvers like the 'flare' -- essential for spacecraft landings. It wasn't long before NASA took achievements earned him selection for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) programme on June 30, 1967 -- the first African American in any US astronaut an era when race walls still loomed, he answered with quiet resolve: 'just another step in civil rights normal progression,' he'd selection included astronaut training, but sadly, no mission would ever take him to space. Manned Orbit Laboratory (MOL) astronauts (Left to Right: Robert T. Herres, USAF; Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., USAF; Dr. Donald H. Peterson, USAF; and James A. Abrahamson, USAF) (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) THE FATAL TRAINING FLIGHTOn December 8, 1967, he was back at Edwards Air Force Base, teaching a trainee how to perform the steepdescent 'flare': a crucial glide manoeuvre for returning flew in an F104 Starfighter. During a steep-descent drill with a trainee, the jet flared too plane struck the runway hard, caught fire, and rolled. The pilot escaped. Lawrence did became the only MOL astronaut to die in training. He left behind a wife, Barbara, and their young son, Tracey.A LEGACY THAT FOUND LIGHT AFTER DARKThe Air Force quietly omitted his name from the original Astronaut Space Mirror Memorial, citing programme definitions. But advocates -- his wife Barbara, son Tracey, and historians -- persisted. In 1997, his name was finally mission patch flew aboard STS-86, and today the Cygnus spacecraft SS Robert H Lawrence honours him. At the Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex, the name of U.S. Air Foce Maj. Robert Lawrence is one of those included on the Space Mirror Memorial which honors those lost in efforts to explore space. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) advertisementAFTERMATH AND RECOGNITIONFor years, his story lay hidden -- NASA did not immediately honour his name on the official Astronaut Space Mirror Memorial, citing Air Force from his loved ones and space historians changed that. In 1997, his name was finally etched in honors included having his mission patch flown aboard STS86 in 1997 and inspiring the naming of SS Robert H Lawrence, a 2020 Cygnus HIS STORY STILL MATTERS TODAYRobert Henry Lawrence Jr. never reached orbit, but he broke the most rigid barrier -- race in the astronaut corps. He showed the world that being black and brilliant were not contradictions. He combined science, skill, and steadfast though his life ended before lift-off, his legacy helped launch a more inclusive journey beyond Earth. It inspired a pathway for generations of astronauts -- reminding us that breakthroughs can begin in classrooms, laboratories, and sometimes in tragic accidents on runways.- Ends
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
First African American astronaut honored with statue on Bradley's campus
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Robert Henry Lawrence Jr., the first African American astronaut and a Bradley University graduate, was honored with a statue on Bradley's Olin Quad on Friday. The unveiling ceremony featured a sizable crowd, with speakers ranging from Peoria Mayor Rita Ali to Fisher Stolz, the sculptor who created the statue. Lawrence was born and raised in Chicago, graduating from Englewood High School on the city's south side in 1952 at the age of 16. From there, he attended Bradley and graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1956. At Bradley, he was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity and a Cadet Commander in the Air Force ROTC. He went on to become an Air Force pilot and was selected as an astronaut in 1967, thus becoming the first African American astronaut. One of those in attendance on Friday was Will Eppes, a distant cousin of Lawrence. He hopes Lawrence's story can inspire others to try their best at whatever they do. 'This man was rejected several times from NASA, and he did not stop. If he would have stopped, we would not have a statue. You wouldn't have me here speaking about him,' he said. Eppes is currently working on a documentary about Lawrence, hoping to tell his family member's story in a way that hasn't been done yet. Tragically, Lawrence died at the age of 32 in 1967 during a training exercise where he was instructing a trainee on different flying techniques. His legacy lives on through an asteroid named after him in the belt between Mars and Jupiter and now through this statue at his alma mater. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
