Bolden, Charles Frank Jr.

1946- · Contribution: 1980-2017

Transportation

First African American NASA Administrator, appointed by President Obama in 2009; piloted and commanded four Space Shuttle missions, including the mission that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope; personally encouraged to apply as an astronaut by Ronald McNair, already profiled in this collection

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Transportation

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Quick facts

Born
1946-
Active since
1980-2017
Category
Transportation

Impact on the world

Bolden flew the mission that launched Hubble, then led NASA through a pivotal transition as its first Black administrator, shaping the agency's course toward the Moon and Mars.

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Sources

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