greeneagle5
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2007
- Messages
- 347
WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed on Wednesday retired astronaut Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden as administrator of NASA, just in time for the space agency's 40th anniversary celebrations of man's first steps on the moon.
His confirmation also came just hours after the launch of space shuttle Endeavour, which began a 16-day mission to the international space station.
The Senate confirmed Bolden to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration without objection. Bolden, who has flown in space four times and was an assistant deputy administrator at one point, will be the agency's first black administrator.
Born in Columbia, S.C., Major General Bolden received a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S.Naval Academy in 1968 and later earned a Master of Science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1977.
Accepting a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps following graduation from the Naval Academy, he underwent flight training at Pensacola, Fla., Meridian, Miss., and Kingsville, Texas,
before being designated a naval aviator in May 1970. Between June 1972 and June 1973 he flew more
than 100 combat missions into North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the A-6A Intruder while assigned to VMA (AW)-533 at Nam Phong, Thailand.
Bolden was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1980. He was a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps until 1994 when he returned to active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps as the Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, effective June 27, 1994
His confirmation also came just hours after the launch of space shuttle Endeavour, which began a 16-day mission to the international space station.
The Senate confirmed Bolden to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration without objection. Bolden, who has flown in space four times and was an assistant deputy administrator at one point, will be the agency's first black administrator.
Born in Columbia, S.C., Major General Bolden received a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S.Naval Academy in 1968 and later earned a Master of Science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1977.
Accepting a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps following graduation from the Naval Academy, he underwent flight training at Pensacola, Fla., Meridian, Miss., and Kingsville, Texas,
before being designated a naval aviator in May 1970. Between June 1972 and June 1973 he flew more
than 100 combat missions into North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the A-6A Intruder while assigned to VMA (AW)-533 at Nam Phong, Thailand.
Bolden was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1980. He was a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps until 1994 when he returned to active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps as the Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, effective June 27, 1994