the first black astronaut is honored at kennedy space center

50 years after his death, the First Black astronaut Air Force Maj. Robert Lawrence Jr. was fully honored at the Kennedy Space Center for his achievements in aerospace, all this time after his death. Lawrence died in a plane crash on Dec. 8, 1967 and at the time he was part of a classified space program in the 60s called the Manned Orbiting Laboratory which was a secret unit that spied on the Soviet Union. Earlier this month, astronauts gathered for a two-hour ceremony praised Lawrence’s achievements would have led him to fly NASA’s space shuttles, if not for his tragic death.

Maj. Robert Lawrence Jr.’s barrier-breaking career has inspired countless men and women of color to pursue careers in aerospace.