By RFPosted on 08-07-2019Modified on 08-07-2019 at 21:03
He must have been the first African black to fly in space. South African Mandla Maseko died on the evening of Saturday 6 July in a motorcycle accident at the age of 30. In 2013, he won the right to travel in space aboard the American Lynx Mark spacecraft. A trip that the one who was already nicknamed "the Afronaute" had still not done.
It all starts in 2013. Mandla Maseko, a 20-year-old South African, joins a competition organized by the AX brand called "Apollo Axis Space Academy". The price ? A journey of one hour in space .
Coming from a modest family, Mandla Maseko is a part-time disc jockey. This does not prevent this young space enthusiast to try his luck. It is selected with 22 people among 1 million candidates from 75 countries. He thus obtained the right to make a flight of one hour aboard an American spacecraft .
From there, the preparation is tough. The one who was already nicknamed "Afronaut" undergoes several physical and mental fitness tests. He spends a week at the Kennedy Space Academy in Florida, where he trains hard: jumps in free fall and flying on fighter planes, among other events.
His flight, scheduled for 2015, did not take place and had to be reprogrammed. But on Sunday, his family announced his death. Mandla Maseko died in a motorcycle accident.
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