Watch: 90-Year-Old Ed Dwight Becomes Oldest Person To Go To Space

In yet another age-defying celebratory moment, Ed Dwight has become America's first Black astronaut and the oldest to fly into space. Ed Dwight, 90, rocketed into space aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule on May 19, Sunday, etching his name in history as the oldest person ever to reach the final frontier. Apart from having a keen interest in astronomy, Dwight has a diverse multi-faceted career path and has been living his dreams and breaking age barriers, inspiring many.

90-Year-Old Ed Dwight Becomes Oldest Person To Go To Space

Becoming the oldest person to travel in space, Dwight was accompanied by four entrepreneurs from the US and France, an accountant, making it six people aboard taking off from West Texas on Sunday with a 10-minute weightless aboard in Blue Origin's new space capsule to the edge of the space before parachuting them back on the Earth.

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While the space travel tickets were undisclosed, a nonprofit organisation Space for Humanity partially paid for Dwight's ticket to space as he was scripting history of being the oldest person to space travel. Dwight shattered the record previously held by Star Trek actor William Shatner who too travelled with Blue Origin's space shuttle in its first crewed mission at the age of 90 in 2021. 

It took Dwight 60 years to fulfil his dream of travelling in space despite being chosen by US President John F. Kennedy as the first-ever black astronaut candidate, considering  Dwight's accomplishments as a skilled Air Force Pilot in the 1960s. However, Dwight was not selected in the class of 1963 of the astronauts in the NASA programme and was only selected in 1978 as its first black astronaut candidate. 

However, despite being selected in NASA's astronaut programme, Dwight was not selected for any space missions as Guion Bluford became the first African American to travel in space in 1983. 

After retiring from the military in 1966, Dwight chose a diverse and multi-faceted career pathway from IBM stints to construction company owner and even earned a master's degree in sculpting in the late 1970s. It was since then Dwight has dedicated his life to art and created many sculptures with the theme of Black History. His sculptures were also sent to space.

Despite having diverse careers, Dwight's love for space never faded, and that's what led him to create history and break records by travelling in space at the age of 90. When asked about the experience Dwight exclaimed "A life-changing experience." He also added, "I thought I really didn't need this in my life. But now, I need it in my life. ... I am ecstatic."

His triumph at the age of 90 sends a powerful message of inclusion and the audacity to pursue dreams, regardless of age or background. His story serves as a beacon, inspiring future generations to reach for the stars and push the boundaries of human exploration.