Charles Bolden

Charles Frank Bolden Jr. (born August 19, 1946) is a former administrator of NASA, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General, and a former astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy with the class of 1968 and became a Marine aviator and test pilot.

On May 23, 2009, President Barack Obama announced Bolden as the new Administrator of NASA. He was the first African American to lead the agency permanently. Bolden served in this role until January 12, 2017, when he announced his retirement from NASA.

In 2020, Bolden was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his important work in leading human spaceflight programs and improving aeronautics research.

Education

Charles Bolden finished high school at C. A. Johnson High School in Columbia, South Carolina in 1964. He then went to the United States Naval Academy and got a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical science in 1968. After that, he earned a Master of Science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1977. He is part of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Military career

Charles Bolden was turned down for a spot at the United States Naval Academy by some politicians, but he wrote a letter to President Lyndon B. Johnson and got the appointment. He graduated from the academy in 1968 and became a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

Bolden trained to fly planes and became a pilot in 1970. He flew many missions during a war in places like Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Later, he tested new airplanes at a special school for pilots. He flew over 6,000 hours before becoming an astronaut in 1980. After leaving NASA, he returned to the Marine Corps and held many important jobs until he retired in 2004.

NASA career

Charles Bolden became an astronaut in 1981 after being chosen by NASA in 1980. He was part of a group chosen to help include more minority and female astronauts. Bolden had many important jobs, like safety officer and assistant to directors at NASA centers.

Bolden flew on four space missions, spending over 680 hours in space. He was the pilot on two missions and the commander on two others. One of his missions was the first to include a Russian cosmonaut.

In 2009, President Obama named Bolden to lead NASA. He talked about new goals for the space program and wanted to inspire children to study science and math. Bolden stepped down from his job in 2017.

Personal life

Charles Bolden lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife, Alexis. They have two children together. Bolden is a Christian and has shared his thoughts about faith and the universe. In the 2024 United States presidential election, Bolden supported Kamala Harris.

Awards

Honors

Charles Bolden received many special awards and honors throughout his career. He was given honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University of South Carolina, Winthrop College, and the University of Southern California, among others.

He was also inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame and received the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy in 2020. Many organizations recognized his achievements with awards for his work in science and space exploration.