Prosper Man ‘In Awe' as Son Becomes 1st Black Astronaut to Embark on Long-Term Stay Aboard Space Station

Victor Glover made history this week when he became the first Black astronaut ever to begin a long-term stay on the International Space Station.

SpaceX launched a crew of four astronauts Sunday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center to the ISS. They arrived Monday for a six-month stay.

Glover's father lives in Prosper and is also named Victor Glover. He said the signs were always there. They always pointed to this moment.

“He would take an alarm clock and take it down to pieces. And you’d walk in and say, ‘What are you doing?' 'I just want to see how it works,’” Glover said. “He ultimately took it apart, put the thing back together and it worked just fine.”

His son’s mind just operated that way. Many years later, that curiosity led to a degree in engineering. Later, the junior Victor Glover decided to become an astronaut -- but not before a stint in the U.S. Navy.

“He basically told them he wanted to be an astronaut,” Glover said. “And the Navy told him if he did his part for the Navy, the Navy would do its part to get him ready to apply as an astronaut.”

Fast forward to Sunday when he and three other crew members took off into space.

“I was in awe the entire time I watched the rocket until it disappeared,” Glover said of the launch. “I pretty much cried like a baby. My face mask that I had on was soaking wet.”

The moment was made even more special by the fact that Glover is the first Black astronaut to spend an entire six-month stint aboard the International Space Station.

“He is keenly aware of what this mission means for him and for our culture,” Glover said of his son. “As far back as we could go in our history, everybody would be so proud they would be about ready to burst.”

Glover said his son carries a tremendous weight on his shoulders, but he's thoroughly prepared. The last time they spoke on FaceTime before he left Earth, he was on a jog.

“He said, ‘Dad, you know, I’m not so much focused on the run as I am on taking on the last of this fresh air that I’m going to get for the next six months,’” he said.

Beyond the excitement and historical moments, Glover said the world should know one thing about his son.

“When that candle was lit and that rocket moved to the sky on Sunday, he was ready,” he said.

Victor Glover has a wife and four daughters awaiting his return.