Name Tag, Space Shuttle Astronaut (Bluford)

Among the items issued to astronauts are Velcro-backed name tags that can be attached to their flight suits and jackets. This name tag is a spare for Shuttle mission specialist astronaut Guion (Guy) S. Bluford, who became the first African American in space on the eighth Shuttle mission (Challenger, STS-8) in 1983. He flew three more missions in 1985 (Challenger, STS 61-A), 1991 and 1992 (STS-39 and STS-53, both on Discovery) Astronauts chose the version of their name on these tags and wore different tags for different occasions. This one shows Bluford's nickname. NASA transferred a number of spare astronaut name tags to the Museum over the years.