Bernard Harris stepped outside his spacecraft. The date was February 9, 1995, and the NASA astronaut just stepped into history. He became the first African American to do a spacewalk! Thirty years later, Harris spoke to News-O-Matic readers.
Harris was born in 1956 and went to school in San Antonio, Texas. He studied biology and became a doctor. Harris flew on space shuttle missions in 1993 and 1995. In total, he spent 18 days over the Earth — and flew 8 million miles (13 million km) in space.
Tyler, Alyssa, and Holden are students at Bernard Harris Middle School in San Antonio, Texas. Here are their questions!
Tyler: What were your feelings as your launch day was getting closer?
Harris: To get into space, you first have to become an astronaut candidate. That is a one-to-two-year training program where you learn how to fly jets, how to fly the shuttle, and what life is like in space. And when you’re selected for a mission, you train an additional two to three years. So, you’re well prepared. But you do get a little
as the date gets closer because you realize, “Wow, I really am going into space!’’ You get excited about the opportunity of fulfilling a dream.
Alyssa: What was your favorite part of your career?
Harris: I went to college to become a medical doctor, and that set me on my journey. All the other things I did were based on being a physician. What tied it together is my knowledge of medicine.
Holden: What advice would you tell people to follow in your footsteps?
Harris: My advice is to not follow my footsteps — but use my footsteps as a guidepost to whatever you might want to do. Medicine was my passion. You have to decide what path you’re going to take. That astronaut path is more about making the decision on your dreams and your passion — whatever that is. There are many things you can do in life. The questions you have to ask yourself are, “What do I really enjoy? What am I passionate about? What do I want to become?”
Tyler: What was your role in your two space missions?
Harris: There are two types of astronauts: the pilot astronaut and the mission specialist. Mission specialists usually have a science or technical background, and we do most of the experiments. On my first flight I was mission specialist. Because I was a medical doctor, I was also the crew medical officer. So, I took care of people who got sick or needed help. And on my second flight, I was the payload commander. It was my responsibility to make sure all the experiments were carried out and that we met all the objectives of the mission.
Holden: How did it feel to look out into the emptiness of space?
Harris: Imagine if you were me on that spacewalk. You’re just floating, and the view is incredible. You see fellow crew members. You see the Earth, and we’re going around at 17,500 miles an hour (28,160 kph). And you can look into the vastness of space. It is eerie when you see all the stars. It’s beautiful, especially if you’re looking in the direction of the Milky Way, which is this dense clump of stars. It’s just gorgeous.
Librarian Cheryl Stewart: There are three things that you’ve said that are painted on the wall of this beautiful library. I would like you to respond to one of them. One is “I am an
being with infinite possibilities.” Number two: “Live a purposeful life.” And number three: “Nothing is impossible if you follow your dreams.”
Harris: Let me focus on the infinite possibility one. You were born with the ability to do anything that you want to do in life — it’s up to you. You were born with certain talents, but you use your brain to learn other things. That’s what education is all about. And I believe that each of us was born for a reason. There is a reason that we were put on this planet, and that reason is for us to discover. If you bring together your abilities and select a goal, you will be successful. Your teachers can help you; your parents can help you. But it takes work on your part.
Tyler: On your second mission, were you like, “I’ve been through this, I got this”?
Harris: By the time I went up on my first mission, I had been in training for three years. Two or three years later, the second mission comes about, and you climb in the vehicle, and it’s like, “Yes, I know how to put the suit on. I know what it’s going to be like as we get blasted off into space — I’ve been there.” But everything else is different. Everything else is new. The experiments we’re doing, the spacewalk, the visit to the Russian space station. It’s very exciting both times.
Alyssa: When you’re in a spaceship, do you feel the passage of time?
Harris: Our day and night happen every 45 minutes. On my first mission, I put my sleeping bag next to the window because I wanted to fall asleep to the beautiful Earth below. I fell asleep, but then the Sun came up and I woke up. After two days, I was dog tired because I didn’t sleep very well. Finally, I had to put my sleeping bag someplace where the Sun was blocked so I could get eight hours of sleep.
Holden: Were there any mental challenges you had to overcome in space?
Harris: The body has to
to being in space. Part of the
of the body is that we lose some of our bone. Our heart gets smaller. The amount of blood in our body reduces. As the body adapts, fluid shifts toward your face. Your body gets rid of that fluid over a few days. Until that happens, your thinking is not as clear because that fluid gets into your brain. That causes a little fuzziness. So we try not to do any
things right away when we get in orbit to give ourselves some time to adapt.
Russ from News-O-Matic: What does the future of space science look like, and how can students get ready?
Harris: Different vehicles will be going to platforms orbiting Earth. There will be colonies on the Moon. And there might be a station to prepare to go to Mars. If you want a job, it may not just be here on Earth. Every job is going to have some link to science and technology. So, you need to prepare now.
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
Updated February 6, 2025, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
