The Almost Astronaut

When it comes to the space race, we all know names like Neil Armstrong and Yuri Gagarin. But in most moments in history, there are a few names that fall through the cracks. One of those names is Ed Dwight. When Ed Dwight was selected to train to become an astronaut, many thought he would become the first Black man to go to space. But Ed faced some unexpected hurdles. Today on the show, we bring you his story. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

You can listen to The Almost Astronaut online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Almost Astronaut is an episode from Radio Diaries by Radio Diaries & Radiotopia.

This episode is 21:31 long.

This episode was published on May 21, 2026.

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