On June 19, 2924, NASA will premiere the documentary The Color of Space celebrating the achievements of the Americans of African heritage who have contributed to our space program.

NASA announced “Members of the public are invited to watch the free online premiere of The Color of Space, an inspirational documentary by NASA that tells the stories of Black Americans determined to reach the stars.  

In the 21st century, everyone who’s seen the Oscar-winning film Hidden Figures knows how much African-Americans have contributed to our space program. In 1961, Captain Edward J. Dwight was selected for astronaut training, but not permitted to actually become an astronaut. We now have Guion Bluford, Dr. Mae Jemison and Stephanie Wilson McCurdy.

The documentary will premiere on Juneteenth, Sunday, June 19, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The 50-minute documentary will be available to watch starting at noon EDT on NASA TV, the NASA app, NASA social media channels, and the agency’s website. 

Anchoring the documentary is a powerful and thought-provoking conversation between seven current and former Black astronauts, each of whom were selected to become part of NASA’s astronaut corps and train for missions to space. Current NASA astronauts Stephanie Wilson, Victor Glover, Jeanette Epps, as well as retired astronauts Leland Melvin, Bernard Harris, Robert Curbeam, and Bobby Satcher, spoke about their journeys and their motivations in a panel hosted by NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche, the first Black woman to lead a NASA center. “

Many families celebrate Juneteenth with a picnic, to take advantage of the summer sunshine, but as for this reporter, I’ll be inside, watching the documentary. It should be fascinating, for anyone interested in the history of space exploration.