Air Force Maj. Robert Lawrence Jr. became the first black astronaut and trailblazer in STEM.
NASA recently honored Lawrence for his contributions to space exploration at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Los Angeles Times reported. The full honors come 50-years after his death.
Lawrence was part of a classified military space program in the 1960s called the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, set up to spy on the Soviet Union. His life was cut short at the age of 32 when his F-104 Starfighter crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Many black astronauts, scientists, fellow Omega Psi Phi fraternity members, and family paid their respects and credited their journey to being inspired by Lawrence.
To read more about Lawrence go here.
Source: NewsOne Now
