Robert Curbeam: Panelist in NASA’s The Color of Space Documentary

In celebration of Juneteenth, a new documentary from NASA, The Color of Space, captures the personal stories of hope and resilience from seven former and current Black astronauts, including Challenger Center’s Immediate Past Chair, Robert Curbeam.

Additional retired NASA astronauts Leland Melvin, Bernard Harris, and Bobby Satcher, as well as current astronauts Stephanie Wilson, Victor Glover, and Jeanette Epps speak about their journeys and motivations in a panel hosted by NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche, the first Black woman to lead a NASA center. Panelists also speak with middle school students, as well as students enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) about the unique path achieved by Black explorers within NASA, and give advice to the future generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers.

The documentary also includes rare archival footage and interviews with Guion ‘Guy’ Bluford, the first Black man in space; Charlie Bolden, retired astronaut and first Black NASA administrator; former astronauts Alvin Drew and Joan Higginbotham; and Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate.

While the panel was originally filmed at Space Center Houston on March 25, the documentary is premiering on Juneteenth, Sunday, June 19, 2022—the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Watch the 50-minute documentary on NASA TV, the NASA app, NASA social media channels, and NASA’s website.