Charles Bolden
Charles Frank \\\"Charlie\\\" Bolden, Jr. (born August 19, 1946 in Columbia, South Carolina, United States), a retired United States Marine Corps major general, and former NASA astronaut. A 1968 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he became a Marine Aviator and test pilot. Selected by NASA in May 1980, Bolden became an astronaut in August 1981. Bolden was the first person to ride the Launch Complex 39 slidewire baskets which enable rapid escape from a Space Shuttle on the launch pad. The need for a human test was determined following a launch abort on STS-41-D where controllers were afraid to order the crew to use the untested escape system. W 2009 roku prezydent Barack Obama mianował Bolden jako administrator z NASA.
Spaceflights
No. Mission Position Time Duration
1 STS-61C PLT 12.01. - 18.01.1986 6d 02h 03m
2 STS-31 PLT 24.04. - 29.04.1990 5d 01h 16m
3 STS-45 CDR 24.03. - 02.04.1992 8d 22h 09m
4 STS-60 CDR 03.02. - 11.02.1994 8d 07h 09m
Total 28d 08h 37m
