15. In 1984, he became only the second African-American in space
In February 1984, Ronald made his maiden voyage as an astronaut aboard the Challenger shuttle on mission STS-41 B. The mission deployed two communication satellites and tested numerous pieces of equipment and technology. Ronald had primary responsibility for various experiments on the 191-hour flight which orbited the earth 122 times. He also operated the robotic arm that allowed Bruce McCandless to perform the first untethered space walk. Ronald became the second African-American to orbit the earth after Guion Stewart Bluford, another member of the class of 1978. Bluford beat Ronald to the title by just 5 months.
