NASA chief to speak at commencement

Until recently, the best-known Marine Corps Astronaut-turned public servant was John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth. Not anymore. The Marines can once again claim a certain history in space. Charles F. Bolden Jr. is the first African American and the second ex-astronaut to lead NASA. He will speak in Southern’s F. G. Clark Activity Center at 10:30 a.m., May 13.
With his Marine Corps background, and his experience as an astronaut, he is uniquely equipped to lead NASA into the 21st Century and some hope, into the era of manned space flight to the moon and beyond. And for Bolden, the role is another opportunity to inspire the children of those who serve in our nation’s military.
A long-time alumnus of the Space Agency, Bolden left NASA in 1994 to resume his career in the Marine Corps. In 2002, then-President George W. Bush unsuccessfully tried to appoint Bolden as the space agency’s deputy administrator. The Pentagon said it needed to keep Bolden in his role as a Marine general and pilot who had flown more than 100 sorties in Vietnam and the start of the Gulf War in 1991.
Bolden, 62, received confirmation last summer from the senate, where he has several supporters, including Florida Senator Bill Nelson, who flew as a guest during Bolden’s first shuttle mission in January 1986, just two weeks before the deadly Challenger accident.
Bolden stayed with NASA during its painful recovery after Challenger and for another historic event. He was a pilot for the 1990 mission that launched the Hubble telescope into orbit. Ironically, the news of his appointment was made on the completion of the final shuttle mission to Hubble in late May.
Finally, he also commanded a 1992 shuttle atmospheric research flight and in 1994 led a mission that included the first Russian cosmonaut as a member of a shuttle crew. The astronaut/cosmonaut exchange program culminated in a partnership to operate the International Space Station, as it continues to thrive today.
During this recent Shuttle/Hubble mission, Mission Control radioed the news of Bolden’s nomination to Atlantis commander Scott Altman, so he could alert his crew. Altman and his crew then spoke with President Obama during a private call between Washington and the Shuttle Flight Deck.