Guion S. Bluford

Dr. Guion S. Bluford, Jr. is the president and founder of The Aerospace Technology Group (ATG), an aerospace technology and business consulting organization specializing in aviation and space related technology development, analysis and marketing related activities. Prior to joining ATG, Dr. Bluford was Vice President of Microgravity R&D and Operations, Northrop Grumman Corporation and was responsible for all corporate microgravity research and technical development activities in support of NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise. He also served as the Program Manager of the NASA Glenn Research Center's Microgravity Research, Development and Operations Contract (MRDOC). Headquartered in Cleveland, OH, Dr. Bluford was responsible for the design, development, integration and operational support of the NASA Fluids and Combustion Facility and associated space flight experiment hardware for the International Space Station. Prior to joining Northrup Grumman, he was Vice President of the Aerospace Sector of Federal Data Corporation (FDC) and was responsible for all NASA business. He has also been the Vice President of the Engineering Services Division of NYMA Inc and Program Manager of the NASA Lewis Research Center's Scientific Engineering, Technical and Administrative Related Services (SETAR) contract.

Prior to his service with Northrop Grumman, FDC and NYMA, Inc., Dr. Bluford was a NASA mission specialist and payload commander astronaut on four Space Shuttle missions. He was selected in the first class of space shuttle astronauts in 1978 and was the first African American to fly in space in 1983 aboard Space Shuttle Challenger. In addition, he flew on a Spacelab flight as payload commander in 1985, a Department of Defense Strategic Defense Initiative Office flight in 1991, and a classified Department of Defense flight in 1992. He has logged over 688 hours in space.

Dr. Bluford served 29 years in the United States Air Force as an Air Force tactical fighter pilot in Vietnam, instructor pilot, staff development engineer, Branch Chief of the Aerodynamics and Airframe Branch of the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory and NASA Astronaut. He has over 5,200 hours of jet flight time in ten different aircrafts. Dr. Bluford received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State University and Masters of Science and Ph.D degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Houston, Clear Lake, TX.

He has been awarded the Department of Defense's Superior Service and three Meritorious Service Medals; the Air Force's Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service, Commendation, and ten Air Medals; NASA's Distinguished Service, Exceptional Service and four Space Flight Medals: the State of Pennsylvania's Distinguished Service Medal and thirteen honorary doctorate degrees. An AIAA fellow, he was inducted into the Space Hall of Fame in 1997.