87-year-old Ed Dwight of Denver never got the chance to go into space himself, but an asteroid now bears his name. Dwight is among 27 African American, Hispanic and Native American astronauts recently honored with namesake asteroids for helping expand horizons beyond Earth and inspiring the next generation of space explorers.
Dwight was the first Black astronaut trainee with NASA in 1961. He later became a successful businessman and sculptor. CPR's Avery Lill spoke with him last summer. His experience with NASA helped him navigate the business-side of the art world. He would go on to create memorials at a time of social reckoning, despite an education system that largely omitted Black history.
