General Charles F. Bolden, Jr.

Born in Columbia, Charles Bolden Jr. earned a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968 and a master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1977.

After graduation from the Naval Academy, he accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He completed flight training and was designated a naval aviator in May 1970. While assigned to VMA (AW)-533 at Nam Phong, Thailand from June 1972 to June 1973, he flew more than 100 missions into North and South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia in the A-6A Intruder. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, MD in June 1979 and was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center.

Bolden served as ordinance test pilot and flew test projects in the A-6E, EA-6B and A-7C/E aircraft. He has logged more than 6,000 hours of flying time. Selected by NASA in 1980, he became an astronaut in 1981 and has flown four space shuttle missions: the Columbia in 1986, Discovery in 1990, Atlantis in 1992 and Discovery in 1994. Bolden has logged more than 680 hours in space.

Bolden has earned numerous awards, including the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Meritorious Service, Air Medal, Strike/Flight Medal (8^th award), NASA Outstanding leadership Medal, three NASA Exceptional Service Medals and the 1996 South Carolina Aviator of the Year.

Biographical Data	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058

NAME: Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Brig. General, USMC) portrait of Charles Bolden
NASA Astronaut (former)

PERSONAL DATA: Born August 19, 1946, in Columbia, South Carolina. Married to the former Alexis (Jackie) Walker of Columbia, South Carolina. They have two children. He enjoys racquetball, running and soccer His mother, Mrs. Ethel M. Bolden, resides in Columbia.

EDUCATION: Graduated from C. A. Johnson High School in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1964; received a bachelor of science degree in electrical science from the United States Naval Academy in 1968, and a master of science in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1977.

ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the Montford Point Marine Association, the United States Naval Institute, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Lifetime member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association, the University of Southern California General Alumni Association.

SPECIAL HONORS: Recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Strike/Flight Medal (8th award), Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the University of South Carolina (1984), Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Winthrop College (1986), the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (1992), NASA Exceptional Service Medals (1988, 1989, 1991), the University of Southern California Alumni Award of Merit (1989), and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Johnson C. Smith University (1990).

EXPERIENCE: Bolden accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps following graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1968. He underwent flight training at Pensacola, Florida, Meridian, Mississippi, and Kingsville, Texas, before being designated a naval aviator in May 1970. He flew more than 100 sorties into North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, in the A-6A Intruder while assigned to VMA(AW)-533 at Nam Phong, Thailand, June 1972 to June 1973. Upon returning to the United States, Bolden began a two-year tour as a Marine Corps selection officer and recruiting officer in Los Angeles, California, followed by three years in various assignments at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. In June 1979, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland, and was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center's Systems Engineering and Strike Aircraft Test Directorates. While there, he served as an ordnance test pilot and flew numerous test projects in the A-6E, EA-6B, and A-7C/E airplanes.

He has logged more than 6,000 hours flying time.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in May 1980, Bolden became an astronaut in August 1981. His technical assignments included: Astronaut Office Safety Officer; Technical Assistant to the Director of Flight Crew Operations; Special Assistant to the Director of the Johnson Space Center; Astronaut Office Liaison to the Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance Directorates of the Marshall Space Flight Center and the Kennedy Space Center; Chief of the Safety Division at JSC; Lead Astronaut for Vehicle Test and Checkout at the Kennedy Space Center; and Assistant Deputy Administrator, NASA Headquarters. A veteran of four space flights, he has logged over 680 hours in space. Bolden served as pilot on STS-61C (January 12-18, 1986) and STS-31 (April 24-29, 1990), and was the mission commander on STS-45 (March 24-April 2, 1992), and STS-60 (Feb. 3-11, 1994).

Bolden left NASA and 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.

Brig. General Bolden is the Assistant Wing Commander, HQ 3rd MAW Miramar, San Diego, California.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-61C Space Shuttle Columbia. During the six-day flight crew members deployed the SATCOM KU satellite and conducted experiments in astrophysics and materials processing. STS-61C launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on January 12. The mission was accomplished in 96 orbits of Earth, ending with a successful night landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on January 18, 1986.

STS-31 Space Shuttle Discovery. Launched on April 24, 1990, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the five-day mission, crew members deployed the Hubble Space Telescope and conducted a variety of middeck experiments. They also used a variety of cameras, including both the IMAX in cabin and cargo bay cameras, for Earth observations from their record-setting altitude over 400 miles. Following 75 orbits of Earth in 121 hours, STS-31 Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on April 29, 1990.

On STS-45 Bolden commanded a crew of seven aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. Launched on March 24 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-45 was the first Spacelab mission dedicated to NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. During the nine-day mission, the crew operated the twelve experiments that constituted the ATLAS-1 (Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science) cargo. ATLAS-1 obtained a vast array of detailed measurements of atmospheric chemical and physical properties, which contribute significantly to improving our understanding of our climate and atmosphere. In addition, this was the first time an artificial beam of electrons was used to stimulate a man-made auroral discharge. Following 143 orbits of Earth, STS-45 Atlantis landed at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on April 2, 1992.

On STS-60 he commanded a crew of six aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. This was the historic first joint U.S./Russian Space Shuttle mission involving the participation of a Russian Cosmonaut as a mission specialist crew member. The flight launched on February 3, 1994, from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and carried the Space Habitation Module-2 (Spacehab-2), and the Wake Shield Facility-01 (WSF-1). Additionally, the crew conducted a series of joint U.S./Russian science activities. The mission achieved 130 orbits of the Earth, ending with a landing on February 11, 1994, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

JUNE 1997

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/bolden-cf.html

United States Marine Corps (Ret.) Major General Charles F. Bolden Jr.


Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jrs'., last billet was as the Commanding General, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing. He assumed this assignment on August 9, 2000. 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. Upon returning to the United States, Major General Bolden began a two-year tour as a Marine Corps Officer Selection and Recruiting Officer in Los Angeles, Calif., followed by three years in various assignments at the Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, Calif. In June 1979, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Md., and was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center's Systems Engineering and Strike Aircraft Test Directorates. While there, he served as an ordnance test pilot and flew numerous test projects in the A-6E, EA-6B and A-7C/E aircraft. Throughout his career Major General Bolden has logged more than 6,000 hours of flying time in more than thirty models of fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1980, Major General Bolden qualified as a space shuttle pilot astronaut in 1981 and subsequently flew four missions in space. During his first mission on board the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1986, he participated in the successful deployment of the SATCOM KU satellite and conducted experiments in astrophysics and materials processing. As pilot of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990, Major General Bolden and crew successfully deployed the Hubble Space Telescope while orbiting the earth from a record setting altitude of 400 miles. Additionally, they also conducted extensive scientific experimentation and employed a variety of cameras, including both the IMAX in-cabin and cargo bay cameras for Earth observations. On his third mission in 1992, he commanded the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the first Space Laboratory (SPACELAB) mission dedicated to NASA's "Mission to Planet Earth." During this nine-day mission, the crew operated the ATLAS-1 (Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science), a system composed of twelve experiments which succeeded in making a vast amount of detailed measurements of the Earth's atmospheric chemical and physical properties. Immediately following this mission, Major General Bolden was appointed Assistant Deputy Administrator for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He held this Washington, D.C. post until assigned as commander of STS-60, the 1994 flight of a six member crew on the Space Shuttle Discovery. This landmark eight day mission was the first joint U.S./Russian Space Shuttle mission, involving the participation of a Russian Cosmonaut as a mission specialist. The crew conducted a series of joint U.S./Russian science activities and carried the Space Habitation Module-2 and the Wake Shield Facility-01 into space. Upon completion of this fourth mission, Major General Bolden left the space program having logged more than 680 hours in space. In 1995, after successfully completing a one year tour as the Deputy Commandant of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Major General Bolden served as the Assistant Wing Commander, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Miramar, Calif. In July of 1997, he was assigned as the Deputy Commanding General, I MEF, Marine Forces, Pacific. From February to June 1998, he served as Commanding General, I MEF (FWD) in support of Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait. In July 1998 he was promoted to his current rank and assumed his previous duties as the Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces, Japan. Major General Bolden has been awarded a number of military and NASA decorations and has received Honorary Doctorates from several distinguished universities. (Updated August 2004 HQMC)

Biographical Data