http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/charles-f-bolden http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center 

Houston, Texas 77058 

January 2017 

Charles F. Bolden Jr.

(Major General, USMC Ret.) NASA Astronaut

Summary: 

Charles F. Bolden Jr. was selected as an astronaut in 1980. During his 14 years as an astronaut, the South Carolina native 

logged more than 680 hours in space during four space shuttle missions, twice as commander and twice as pilot. His 

missions included deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope, the first SPACELAB “mission to planet Earth” to study our 

atmosphere, and the first joint U.S.-Russian shuttle mission, which featured a cosmonaut as a member of his crew. In 

1994, Bolden returned to operational duty in the Marine Corps, retiring as a Major General after 34 years of service. He 

has received many honors including the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross and was 

inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2009, Bolden was nominated by President Barack Obama and 

confirmed by the Senate as the twelfth NASA Administrator, leading the space agency in its vision to reach for new 

heights and reveal the unknown for the benefit of humanity. Bolden retired as NASA Administrator on Jan. 20, 2017. 

Personal Data: 

A resident of Alexandria, Va., Bolden was born Aug. 19, 1946, in Columbia, S.C. He is married to the former Alexis 

(Jackie) Walker of Columbia, S.C. The couple has two children: Anthony Ché, a colonel in the Marine Corps who is 

married to the former Penelope McDougal of Sydney, Australia, and Kelly Michelle, a plastic surgeon at the Howard 

University Hospital in Washington, D.C. 

Education: 

Bolden graduated from C. A. Johnson High School in 1964 and received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He 

earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Science in 1968 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 

Marine Corps. After completing flight training in 1970, he became a Naval Aviator. Bolden earned a Master of Science 

degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1977. 

Military Experience: 

Bolden flew more than 100 combat missions in North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, while stationed in 

Namphong, Thailand, from 1972-1973. In 1978, he was assigned to the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Md., 

and completed his training in 1979. While working at the Naval Air Test Center's Systems Engineering and Strike Aircraft 

Test Directorates, he tested a variety of ground attack aircraft until his selection as an astronaut candidate in 1980. 

After his final space shuttle flight in 1994, he left the agency to return to operational duty in the Marine Corps as the 

Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. Bolden was assigned as the Deputy Commanding 

General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in the Pacific in 1997. During the first half of 1998, he served as 

Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Forward in support of Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait. 

Bolden was promoted to his final rank of major general in July 1998 and named Deputy Commander of U.S. Forces in 

Japan. He later served as the Commanding General of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar 

in San Diego, Calif., from 2000 until 2002, before retiring from the Marine Corps in 2003. 
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Charles F. Bolden Jr.

NASA Experience: 

In addition to his spaceflight experience during four space shuttle missions, Bolden's NASA astronaut career included 

technical assignments as the Astronaut Office Safety Officer; Technical Assistant to the Director of Flight Crew 

Operations; Special Assistant to the Director of the Johnson Space Center; Chief of the Safety Division at Johnson 

(overseeing safety efforts for the return to flight after the 1986 Challenger accident); lead astronaut for vehicle test and 

checkout at the Kennedy Space Center; and Assistant Deputy Administrator at NASA Headquarters. 

Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Bolden began his duties as the twelfth 

Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on July 17, 2009. As Administrator, Bolden oversaw 

the safe transition from 30 years of space shuttle missions to a new era of exploration focused on full utilization of the 

International Space Station and space and aeronautics technology development. He led the agency in developing a 

Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will carry astronauts to proving ground missions in lunar orbit and 

enable the journey to Mars. He also established a new Space Technology Mission Directorate to develop cutting-edge 

technologies for the missions of tomorrow. During Bolden's tenure, the agency's support of commercial space 

transportation systems for reaching low-Earth orbit enabled successful commercial cargo resupply of the space station 

and advancement of commercial crew systems. Bolden also supported NASA's contributions toward developing cleaner, 

faster, and quieter airplanes. The agency's dynamic science activities under Bolden included an unprecedented landing 

on Mars with the Curiosity rover, launch of the Juno spacecraft to Jupiter and its arrival in 2016, the New Horizons

mission to reveal the secrets of Pluto, enhancing the nation's fleet of Earth-observing satellites, and continued progress 

toward the 2018 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope that will 

again rewrite our understanding of the universe. 

Spaceflight Experience: 

STS-61C (January 12 through January 18, 1986). During the six-day flight of Columbia, with Bolden as pilot, crew 

members deployed the SATCOM Ku band satellite and conducted experiments in astrophysics and materials processing. 

They orbited Earth 96 times and ended with a successful night landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. 

STS-31 (April 24 through April 29, 1990). Bolden served as the pilot aboard Discovery for the five-day mission where the 

crew deployed the Hubble Space Telescope and conducted a variety of middeck experiments. They also used a range of 

cameras, including both the IMAX in-cabin and cargo bay cameras, for Earth observations from their record-setting 

altitude of over 400 miles. Following 75 orbits of Earth in 121 hours, Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. 

STS-45 (March 24 through April 2, 1992). On STS-45, Bolden commanded a crew of seven aboard Atlantis. This was the 

first Spacelab mission dedicated to "Mission to Planet Earth." During the nine-day mission, the crew operated the 12 

experiments of the ATLAS-1 (Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science) cargo. ATLAS-1 obtained detailed 

measurements of atmospheric chemical and physical properties. In addition, this was the first time an artificial beam of 

electrons was used to stimulate an auroral discharge. After 143 orbits of Earth, Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center 

in Florida. 

STS-60 (February 3 through February 11, 1994). Bolden commanded STS-60's crew of six aboard Discovery. This was the 

historic first joint American/Russian space shuttle mission involving the participation of Russian cosmonaut Sergei 

Krikalev as a mission specialist. The flight carried the Space Habitation Module-2 (SPACEHAB-2) and the Wake Shield 

Facility. The crew conducted a series of joint American/Russian science activities. The mission achieved 130 orbits of the 

Earth, ending with a landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 
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Charles F. Bolden Jr.

Experience: 

Prior to Bolden's nomination as NASA Administrator, he was employed as the Chief Executive Officer of 

JACKandPANTHER LLC, a small business enterprise providing leadership, military and aerospace consulting, and 

motivational speaking. 

Awards/Honors: 

Bolden's many military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He 

was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in May 2006. He has been recognized with multiple honorary doctoral 

degrees from prestigious academic institutions in the United States and abroad. 

Pronunciation: CHAR-ulls BOWL-den