COLONEL GUION S. "GUY" BLUFORD JR. - INSCRIBED PRINTED PHOTOGRAPH SIGNED IN INK - HFSID 297465

GUION S. BLUFORD, JR.
The astronaut signs and inscribes his official NASA photograph.
Inscribed printed photograph signed: "To Jane Wilmer/with Best Wishes/f/Guion S. Bluford Jr./NASA Astronaut" in black felt tip, Color 8x10. Official NASA photograph. Guion S. Bluford, Jr., a U.S. Air Force Major, was among 35 astronaut candidates selected by NASA in January 1978, and became the first Black American in space five years later as a member of the five-man crew of the space shuttle Challenger. The mission (August 30-September 5, 1983) was the first night launch from Kennedy Space Center, and successfully launched a weather/communications satellite for India. Bluford returned to space aboard the Challenger on October 30-November 6, 1985, as a member of the first eight-person crew on the first German Spacelab 1-D mission; the Germans aboard conducted scientific experiments. Aboard the space shuttle Discovery from April 28-May 6, 1991, Bluford was one of seven crew members testing detection devices and successfully recovering the Star Wars satellite. Bluford's fourth and final mission took place on the Discovery from December 2-9, 1992, two weeks after Bluford turned 50; this was the last scheduled military flight for the space shuttle, which launched a secret military satellite. Lightly creased. Staple holes at top left. Otherwise, fine condition.