Charles Bolden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Bolden
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Official portrait, 2009
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| 12th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration | |
| In office July 17, 2009 – January 20, 2017 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Michael D. Griffin |
| Succeeded by | Jim Bridenstine |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Charles Frank Bolden Jr.
August 19, 1946 Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Spouse | Alexis Walker |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Ethel Martin Bolden (mother) |
| Education | |
| Civilian awards |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1968–2004 |
| Rank | Major General |
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| Battles/wars |
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| Military awards |
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| Awards |
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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28 days, 8 hours, 37 minutes |
| Selection | NASA Group 9 (1980) |
| Missions | |
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Mission insignia
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Charles Frank Bolden Jr. was born on August 19, 1946. He is famous for being the head of NASA, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General, and an astronaut who flew into space four times.
He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1968. Bolden became a Marine pilot and a test pilot. After his time as an astronaut, he worked at the Naval Academy again.
On May 23, 2009, President Barack Obama chose Bolden to lead NASA. Lori Garver was chosen as his deputy. Both were approved by the Senate on July 15, 2009. Bolden was the first African American to lead NASA permanently.
He announced his retirement from NASA on January 12, 2017. His last day was January 19, 2017. Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. took over as acting NASA Administrator.
In 2020, Bolden became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for his leadership in U.S. human spaceflight and for helping to restart important research in flying.
Contents
Education and Early Life
Bolden finished high school in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1964. He earned a degree in Electrical Science from the United States Naval Academy in 1968. Later, in 1977, he earned a master's degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.
Military Career
Bolden joined the United States Marine Corps as a second lieutenant after graduating in 1968. He trained to be a pilot and became a United States Naval Aviator in May 1970.
He flew over 100 missions in the A-6A Intruder aircraft. These missions were over North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1972 to 1973. After returning to the U.S., Bolden worked as a recruiting officer.
In 1979, he graduated from the United States Naval Test Pilot School. He then became a test pilot, flying different types of aircraft. He has flown for more than 6,000 hours.
Bolden was chosen to be an astronaut by NASA in 1980. He was part of the NASA Astronaut Corps until 1994. After that, he returned to the Marine Corps. He retired from the military in August 2004 as a major general.
NASA Career
NASA selected Bolden as an astronaut in May 1980. He officially became an astronaut in August 1981. He was one of several astronauts recruited by Nichelle Nichols. This was part of NASA's effort to have more minority and female astronauts.
Bolden worked in various important roles at NASA. He was the Safety Officer for the Astronaut Office. He also helped with flight crew operations and safety at different NASA centers.
He flew on four space missions and spent over 680 hours in space. Bolden was the pilot on STS-61-C (1986) and STS-31 (1990). He was the mission commander on STS-45 (1992) and STS-60 (1994).
Bolden was the first person to use the Launch Complex 39 slidewire baskets. These baskets are a way for astronauts to quickly escape from the Space Shuttle if there is an emergency on the launch pad.
Spaceflights
On STS-61-C, Bolden piloted the Space Shuttle Columbia. This mission lasted six days in January 1986. The crew launched a satellite and did science experiments. This was the last mission before the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
Bolden piloted the Space Shuttle Discovery during STS-31. This mission launched on April 24, 1990. The crew spent five days in space. Their main job was to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope. They also took many pictures of Earth from a very high altitude.
On STS-45, Bolden commanded the Space Shuttle Atlantis. This mission launched on March 24, 1992. It was the first Spacelab mission focused on "Mission to Planet Earth." The crew used twelve experiments to study Earth's atmosphere.
Bolden commanded STS-60 aboard Discovery. This was a historic mission in February 1994. It was the first time an American Space Shuttle mission included a Russian cosmonaut, Sergei Krikalev. The crew did many joint science activities.
Administrator of NASA
In 2009, President Obama chose Bolden to be the Administrator of NASA.
In a video from April 2010, Bolden said that NASA would "turn science fiction into science fact."
In a June 2010 interview, Bolden mentioned that President Obama gave him three main goals. These included inspiring children in science and math. Another goal was to grow NASA's international partnerships. He also mentioned reaching out to the Muslim world to celebrate their contributions to science. The White House later clarified that this was not NASA's main task.
Bolden said that NASA's big dream is to land astronauts on Mars. He also worried about budget cuts affecting major NASA projects.
On August 28, 2012, his voice was the first human voice broadcast on the surface of Mars. The Mars rover received his message and sent it back to Earth.
On October 28, 2015, Bolden talked about the next steps for a human journey to Mars. He announced his resignation from NASA on January 12, 2017.
After leaving NASA, Bolden joined the United Arab Emirates Space Advisory Committee.
Personal Life
Bolden lives in Alexandria, Virginia. He is married to Alexis Bolden, and they have two children. Bolden is a Christian. He has spoken about his faith and his belief that life could exist elsewhere in the universe.
In the 2024 United States presidential election, Bolden supported Kamala Harris.
Awards and Honors
Charles Bolden has received many awards and honors throughout his career. These include:
- National Space Trophy – 2014
- Nierenberg Prize – 2016
- Inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2017
- Carl Sagan Award for Public Appreciation of Science – 2017
- International Space Hall of Fame – 1997
- Member of the National Academy of Engineering – 2020
- Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy – 2020
- Mani L. Bhaumik Breakthrough of the Year Award – 2022
- National Air and Space Museum Trophy for Lifetime Achievement
Images for kids
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STS-61-C mission patch
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STS-31 mission patch
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STS-45 mission patch
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STS-60 mission patch
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Bolden speaking at a USMC recruiting event in 1982.
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Bolden on the flight deck of Columbia during STS-61-C
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Bolden on the flight deck of Discovery during STS-60
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Bolden speaks after landing of the last Space Shuttle mission, STS-135.
See also
In Spanish: Charles F. Bolden, Jr. para niños
