1st African-American astronaut to walk in space gives Chicago kids 'out of this world experience'
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Dr. Bernard Harris Jr. has done a lot of walking in his 67 years of life but perhaps his most memorable steps were in space.
"It's just awe inspiring," said Harris a former NASA Space Shuttle astronaut, the first African-American to walk in space on Feb. 9, 1995.
"We travel at an altitude of 250 miles above the earth so you have a God's eye view of the earth and of course around our planet," said Harris.
His Friday morning travels brought him to Casa Central's Early Learning Academy Center in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood where he met with some eagerly awaiting children.
"I'd be willing to bet these kids here have never seen an astronaut, and astronaut of color too," said Harris.
Harris answered the children's questions, read them a book about planets and even made some slime with them.
He said it's important children of color are inspired by the ever-changing space industry.
"We have something we call now the new space economy," said Harris. "Up until now we haven't really had a serious presence in space. "Now we have private industry that's now being involved in space that's going to create this economy, this industry in space to go to lower earth orbit, which is around 250 nautical miles and then beyond, which would be the moon."
NASA and the Canadian Space Agency are sending four astronauts into space next year for a lunar flyby as part of Artemis II. It will be the first trip to the moon in 50 years. NASA has also partnered with private companies like Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and Blue Origin as they blaze their own paths into space tourism.
"Our Black and brown communities need to be prepared for this industry that's going to evolve in space and it's going to drive the economies here on earth," said Harris. "So whether you decide that you want to go into space or not, you just want to stay on earth, I guarantee you that what we'll be doing in space is going to impact your life here."
Harris said there are about 24 African-American astronauts out of over 600 astronauts that have flown into space. The number of Latino astronauts is even smaller.
That's why he said speaking and inspiring young children is the favorite part of his job.
"I watched the early space program develop and as it developed and got prepared to go to the moon, I watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the moon and I said I want to do that," Harris recalled. "They were inspirational for me as I hope to be inspirational for these young kids.
Harris will be the keynote speaker at Casa Central's Out of this World Gala celebration happening Friday night at the Adler Planetarium.
