Latest news with #BernardHarris
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
I was the first Black man to walk in space. My career as an astronaut was hard for my family.
Dr. Bernard Harris is a medical doctor, astronaut, and venture capitalist. In 1995, he became the first African American to do a space walk. He attributes his success to education, and his foundation supports STEM for kids. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Bernard Harris, author of "Embracing Infinite Possibilities: Letting Go Of Fear To Reach Your Highest Potential". It has been edited for length and clarity. I was one of the original Star Trek enthusiasts. I was about 10 when the show debuted, and I would rush home each week to watch a new episode. My imagination ran wild with the idea of space and being in space. Then, when I was 13, NASA landed on the moon. When Neil Armstrong said those famous words — "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" — it really set my passion off. I studied medicine, always with the goal of becoming an astronaut. In 1990, when I was about 34, I was selected for the astronaut program. Over the next four years, I flew twice into space and became the first Black man to do a space walk. Many people don't realize that the space shuttle weighs 5 million pounds. To haul that into space, we light five engines that produce 7.5 million pounds of thrust. Once those are ignited, you're leaving the planet in a hurry. The first time I went to space, my daughter was about 8 months old. Her mom — my life partner — had the hardest job, raising our daughter and my three stepchildren. My work took away from family time. When it was time to launch, my family watched nervously, hoping everything went right. Inside the shuttle, I was laser-focused on making sure everything went right, so I didn't have time to worry. Later, when the hatch opened for my space walk, I felt like I was falling, just for a second. My brain expected to feel gravity's pull, but after a moment, I adjusted to the floating sensation. I was tethered to a robotic arm 35 feet above the space shuttle. Below, I could see the shuttle and the Earth beyond that. Surrounding it all was the clearest view of the Milky Way galaxy that you could ever imagine. It was an incredible view for a human. I was struck by the silence. With no air to transmit sound, space is completely quiet. Floating there, I had a great sense of peace. It was even more wonderful than I expected. The year after that walk, I left NASA, but continued to work around the space industry. I also practiced medicine and saw patients at community clinics. That's been an important way for me to give back. I've had experiences that very few people get, particularly people of color. Part of my legacy is to translate that experience and use it to create awareness here on Earth. That means sharing my story and also helping create opportunities for other people to follow in my footsteps. I founded The Harris Foundation to focus on that legacy. Our work is structured around three pillars of success: education, health, and wealth. Health is important to me, as a physician, and I want everyone to have access to quality healthcare. In order to participate equally in the American dream, we need to build wealth, not only individually but generationally. My family was poor when I was a child, but today I have built a great deal of wealth. I hope to help others do the same. Doing so starts with education. My father only had an 11th-grade education, but my mother's college degree gave her power. It changed not only her life, but mine. I may not have been so successful if she hadn't had her education. I've seen how education can change the trajectory of a person and their descendants. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Science
- Business Insider
I was the first Black man to walk in space. My career as an astronaut was hard for my family.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Bernard Harris, author of " Embracing Infinite Possibilities: Letting Go Of Fear To Reach Your Highest Potential". It has been edited for length and clarity. I was one of the original Star Trek enthusiasts. I was about 10 when the show debuted, and I would rush home each week to watch a new episode. My imagination ran wild with the idea of space and being in space. Then, when I was 13, NASA landed on the moon. When Neil Armstrong said those famous words — "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" — it really set my passion off. I s tudied medicine, always with the goal of becoming an astronaut. In 1990, when I was about 34, I was selected for the astronaut program. Over the next four years, I flew twice into space and became the first Black man to do a space walk. My career as an astronaut was tough on my family Many people don't realize that the space shuttle weighs 5 million pounds. To haul that into space, we light five engines that produce 7.5 million pounds of thrust. Once those are ignited, you're leaving the planet in a hurry. The first time I went to space, my daughter was about 8 months old. Her mom — my life partner — had the hardest job, raising our daughter and my three stepchildren. My work took away from family time. When it was time to launch, my family watched nervously, hoping everything went right. Inside the shuttle, I was laser-focused on making sure everything went right, so I didn't have time to worry. Space was incredibly peaceful Later, when the hatch opened for my space walk, I felt like I was falling, just for a second. My brain expected to feel gravity's pull, but after a moment, I adjusted to the floating sensation. I was tethered to a robotic arm 35 feet above the space shuttle. Below, I could see the shuttle and the Earth beyond that. Surrounding it all was the clearest view of the Milky Way galaxy that you could ever imagine. It was an incredible view for a human. I was struck by the silence. With no air to transmit sound, space is completely quiet. Floating there, I had a great sense of peace. It was even more wonderful than I expected. I want to help others follow in my footsteps The year after that walk, I left NASA, but continued to work around the space industry. I also practiced medicine and saw patients at community clinics. That's been an important way for me to give back. I've had experiences that very few people get, particularly people of color. Part of my legacy is to translate that experience and use it to create awareness here on Earth. That means sharing my story and also helping create opportunities for other people to follow in my footsteps. I founded The Harris Foundation to focus on that legacy. Our work is structured around three pillars of success: education, health, and wealth. Health is important to me, as a physician, and I want everyone to have access to quality healthcare. In order to participate equally in the American dream, we need to build wealth, not only individually but generationally. My family was poor when I was a child, but today I have built a great deal of wealth. I hope to help others do the same. Doing so starts with education. My father only had an 11th-grade education, but my mother's college degree gave her power. It changed not only her life, but mine. I may not have been so successful if she hadn't had her education. I've seen how education can change the trajectory of a person and their descendants.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Connection to Austin: Former Medical Center Dr inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
Jun. 20—By Jed Nelson On May 31, the Kennedy Space Center held the 2025 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Bernard Harris, a former Internal Medicine doctor at the Austin Medical Center, was one of two former NASA astronauts inducted. Though Harris's roots are planted deep in Texas, he spent three years in the mid 1980s as a resident in Austin practicing medicine. Born in Temple, Texas in 1956, Harris went on to achieve things most of us could only dream about. While in Austin, he discussed becoming an astronaut with co-workers. One co-worker, Diane Dammen of Austin, and an attendee of the induction ceremony, stated that they kiddingly gave him a hard time about it, but knew that if anyone could do it, it was Harris. "That was in the 80s," Dammen said. "I know some of the doctors and nurses remember him. He was great to work with." After leaving Austin, he traveled back to Texas where he completed his fellowship with the NASA Research Center in 1987. After the fellowship, he joined NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where he worked as a flight surgeon, scuba diver and licensed pilot. What Harris accomplished in the latter half of the 1980s was just the beginning. In 1990 he was selected to an astronaut crew, and in 1991 was made a mission specialist. In 1993, Harris made his first trip to space where he conducted various muscular skeletal experiments. In 1995, he made history. Harris became the first African American to perform a spacewalk in the STS-63 mission nicknamed the "near Mir,"which marked early cooperation between the Russian / American Space Programs. The mission achieved the first space rendezvous between an American Space Shuttle and Russia's space station. Harris was at NASA for 10 years, where he conducted research in musculoskeletal physiology and clinical investigations of space adaptation. He also developed in-flight medical devices to extend astronaut stays in space. Harris has also logged more than 438 hours and traveled over 7.2 million miles in space. All these accomplishments led to May 31, 2025 — the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony. A ceremony that Dammen and her husband, Dave, were invited to. "We were so surprised to receive an invitation to his induction," Dammen said. "We were so excited, there was no way we were not going to go." The lead-up to the ceremony was three days of meetings and panel discussions featuring not only Harris, but other successful astronauts with stories to tell. On day three family, friends and other astronauts gathered to recognize and celebrate the 2025 Hall of Fame inductees. With nearly 40 tables set up in the event center, each table had an astronaut assigned to it. "They (astronauts) were the nicest people," Dammen said. "Just so easy to be around and to talk to." Seeing Harris deliver a speech to the audience was something the Dammen's say they will never forget. To Diane, he is more than just a coworker, but a friend. "The experience was awe inspiring to us," she added. "We never expected to be at anything like that. It's something we won't ever forget." Today, Harris is the CEO and Managing Partner of Vesalius Ventures, Inc., a venture capital firm that invests in early to mid-stage Healthcare technologies and companies. He is president and founder of The Harris Institute/Foundation, a non-profit organization which serves socially and economically disadvantaged communities both locally and across the nation. He has been involved in math and science education for over 25 years through his philanthropy. Through his foundation, Harris strives to support the most underserved populations in education, health, and wealth.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Two NASA astronauts inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, one preparing for Axiom launch
Two veteran astronauts were inducted May 31 into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame — and one of them had to miss the induction ceremony as she's preparing to launch on yet another mission. Organized by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, the annual ceremony was held under Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The new inductees are Bernard Harris and Peggy Whitson, bringing the total number of astronauts in the Hall of Fame to 111. Harris flew on two space shuttle missions. He served as mission specialist on STS-55 and as payload commander on STS-63, accumulating 438 hours in space. During his second mission in 1995, Harris became the first African American to perform a spacewalk. Harris was 13 years old when inspired by the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. While astronauts at that time were traditionally white test pilots, it did not stop Harris from dreaming. "I had that black-and-white television that I talked about - I could turn one channel and see some of the greatest accomplishments of human beings at that time, and then turn the channel and see Blacks fighting for their right to vote, or to exist depending depending on what part of the country they were in," Harris told FLORIDA TODAY. "I decided if I didn't see someone like me, I'd be the first." It would be nearly another decade before African Americans and even women became astronauts. As for being the first African American to perform a spacewalk, Harris told FLORIDA TODAY that while he had already become an astronaut, being the first in this regard was not even on his mind. "As a mission specialist, an aspiration for me was to do a spacewalk," said Harris. Going into his second mission, he did not even have a spacewalk assigned until into the mission. Harris was thrilled to not only perform a spacewalk, but helping to set the foundations for the ISS. "In truth, I didn't know I was the first African American until I got back inside and I got the call from President Clinton," said Harris. "The EVA (spacewalk) didn't scare me as much as 'now I got to talk to the president'," said Harris. Being an astronaut is not the only thing on Harris' list of accomplishments. He's also served as a research scientist and flight surgeon. According to the Visitor Complex's website, Harris conducted research on how the human body adapts to space, leading to the development of in-flight medical devices which assist astronauts with lengthy trips to space. Harris also founded the Harris Foundation, which works to ensure students from all backgrounds receive quality education. He also is involved in numerous education initiatives. As for Whitson, Harris had positive words for her. "I'm really honored to be inducted with her. She is a remarkable person," Harris told the crowd at the Visitor Complex. Whitson had to miss Saturday's ceremony as she's currently in pre-mission quarantine with her three other crewmates. She's preparing to fly to space for the seventh time. However, a prerecorded video was presented during her recognition, during which Whitson spoke of growing up on a farm in rural Iowa and being inspired by the moon landing. "Since there were no female astronauts at the time at the lunar landing, I focused my efforts on making enough money for flying lessons," said Whitson. After graduating with her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, and the space shuttle flying astronauts of all backgrounds, Whitson applied to become a NASA astronaut. It took Whitson four times of applying before she was finally selected in 1996 - yet the wait paid off as she went on to shatter records with NASA and now Axiom Space. Already, Whitson holds the record for the most time accumulated in space by an American astronaut — 675 days. On June 8, she is set to command the Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. Whitson will lift off in a SpaceX Crew Dragon atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Axiom Space is a private company which has sent three previous multinational missions to the ISS. The company is working to build the space station which will replace NASA's ISS when it retires no earlier than 2030. Whitson's previous missions include STS-111, Expedition 5, STS-113, Expedition 16, Expedition 50/51/52, and Axiom Mission 2 in 2023. Whitson joined Axiom Space after retiring from NASA in 2018. According to the Visitor Complex's website, Whitson has served as NASA's Chief of the Astronaut Office, twice as Commander of the ISS, Chair of NASA's Astronaut Selection Board, NASA Operations Branch Chief, NASA Deputy Division Chief for both Medical Sciences and the Astronaut Office, and co-chair of the US/Russian Mission Science Working Group. When is the next Florida launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, Axiom, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral To get named to the Astronaut Hall of Fame, here are the basic requirements the candidates must meet: Their first flight was at least 15 years before the induction. The last day eligible for a NASA flight assignment was at least five years before the candidate's nomination. Candidate must be a U.S. citizen. The candidate must have served as a NASA-trained space shuttle commander, pilot, mission specialist, International Space Station commander, or flight engineer. The candidate must have orbited Earth at least once. Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@ or on X: @brookeofstars. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Two astronauts inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kennedy Space Center inducts two into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation has revealed the 2025 inductees to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Veteran NASA astronauts Bernard Harris and Peggy Whitson will join the 109 astronauts already in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Both Harris and Whitson extended their careers with NASA after their time as astronauts, with Harris dedicating 10 years and Whitson 37 years. Currently, Harris is involved in the venture capital sector, while Whitson pursues her passion for space and exploration as an astronaut and the director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame welcomes two exceptional and trailblazing veterans of the space program who contributed significantly to NASA's mission and and Whitson continue to serve as exemplary role models in their post-NASA careers. What a tremendous honor to induct them into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Curt Brown, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Chairman Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
