Charles Bolden is a retired United States Marine Corps Major General and a former NASA administrator. He was born on August 19, 1946, in Columbia, South Carolina. Bolden served as the NASA Administrator from July 2009 to January 2017, overseeing various space missions and initiatives during his tenure. Before joining NASA, Bolden had a distinguished military career as a fighter pilot and test pilot. He flew on four space shuttle missions, including STS-31, which deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. Bolden's leadership at NASA focused on advancing human space exploration and promoting science and technology education.