Dr. Guion "Guy" S. Bluford is Vice President and General Manager of the Science and Engineering Group, Aerospace Sector of Federal Data Corporation (FDC), an information technology and engineering services company, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. He is responsible for all FDC aerospace engineering and research-related programs. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Bluford manages both commercial and government contracts with a workforce of approximately 400 scientists and engineers.
Prior to his service with FDC, 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 aircraft.
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 Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Houston, Clear Lake, TX.
Dr. Bluford serves on the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the largest professional aerospace engineering society in the world. He has served on the National Research Council's Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB) and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the NASA Alumni League, the Western Reserve Historical Society of Cleveland, the Great Lakes Science Center, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation.
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 and Commendation Medals; NASA's Distinguished Service, Exceptional Service and four Space Flight Medals; the State of Pennsylvania's Distinguished Service Medals and thirteen honorary doctorate degrees. He was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997.
Prior to his service with FDC, 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 aircraft.
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 Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Houston, Clear Lake, TX.
Dr. Bluford serves on the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the largest professional aerospace engineering society in the world. He has served on the National Research Council's Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB) and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the NASA Alumni League, the Western Reserve Historical Society of Cleveland, the Great Lakes Science Center, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation.
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 and Commendation Medals; NASA's Distinguished Service, Exceptional Service and four Space Flight Medals; the State of Pennsylvania's Distinguished Service Medals and thirteen honorary doctorate degrees. He was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997.