First female and black astronaut candidates selected 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 16 1978)


Video: 'SYND 17 1 78 NASA CHOSE WOMEN ASTRONAUT'

(Monday, January 16, 1978, 1:00 p.m. EST) — Officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) today named 35 new candidates to be astronauts in the space shuttle program, including Sally Ride, who became America’s first woman in space, and Guion Bluford, who became America’s first black astronaut in space.