Navy commander is first Black crew member on ISS

Navy Cmdr. Victor Glover arrived on the International Space Station Tuesday morning making history as the first Black crew member aboard the ISS. 

Glover was selected as an astronaut in 2013 while serving as a legislative fellow in the United States Senate. He served as pilot and second-in-command on the Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon, named Resilience, which launched Nov. 15.

The hatches are open and NASA's @SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts Shannon Walker, @Astro_Soichi, @AstroVicGlover, and @Astro_illini are the newest residents aboard the @Space_Station. Welcome aboard! pic.twitter.com/WYwC7jRVQk

— NASA (@NASA) November 17, 2020

The trip to the ISS was Glover's first to space. 

Navy commander among crew arriving at launch site for 2nd SpaceX flight

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In the Navy, Glover is an aviator with 22 years of service as a test pilot in the F/A‐18 Hornet, Super Hornet and EA‐18G Growler. He has deployed during both war and peacetime.

Even before his military service, Glover demonstrated ambition and drive as a wrestler at California Polytechnic State University where he earned a degree in engineering. Glover also played on Cal Poly's football team during his time there. 

Glover is not the first Black man to visit the ISS -- others before him have spent short visits there completing a variety of tasks. But Glover is the first proper crew member who will spend months aboard the station. 

SpaceX flying ex-football players, flight controller, Scout

The international SpaceX Crew-1 also included Air Force flight test engineer Michael Hopkins, NASA flight controller Shannon Walker and Japanese Space Agency’s seasoned astronaut Soichi Noguchi.

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Reach Elizabeth Howe on Twitter @ECBHowe.

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