Senator Hutchison's Statement on President's Intent to Nominate Charles Bolden to Head NASA

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today released the following statement on the President's intent to nominate Charles Bolden to be the next NASA Administrator.

"I am delighted that the President intends to nominate retired Marine General and astronaut Charles Bolden to be the next NASA Administrator. He brings the enthusiasm for science and exploration that NASA needs at this crucial time in its history.

"I talked to General Bolden today following the announcement of his intended nomination. We discussed the importance of finishing the space station so the scientific research can be fully supported. He and I agree that space exploration is essential for America's future security and we look forward to working together to continue America's preeminence in space.

"I believe the Commerce Committee will move expeditiously to consider this nomination, and that of the nominee for Deputy NASA Administrator, Lori Garver upon receiving their paperwork. I look forward to working with them as we move ahead to preserve America's leadership in space."

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller praised the choice and said he'll move the nomination through the confirmation process "in short order."

"General Bolden's 34 years of service to this country as a United States Marine is incredibly admirable and will bring just the kind of leadership and management NASA needs as America launches a new era of innovation, creativity and prosperity," the West Virginia Democrat said in a statement.

Charles Bolden, President Barack Obama's pick to become the next NASA administrator, is expected to go before the Senate next week for a confirmation hearing.

The former astronaut and retired Marine Corps general will go before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on July 8, according to the office of Sen. Bill Nelson. The Florida Democrat sits on the panel and heads its Space, Aeronautics and Related Sciences subcommittee.

Charlie Bolden just confirmed by Senate as nation's new space czar. He's perfect to keep America leading in space, science and technology.

I've known Charlie Bolden the better part of a quarter century, since he was my pilot on the space shuttle in 1986.

Naval academy grad, Marine test pilot, astronaut, general -- Charlie will bring back the magic from a time when we rode rockets to the moon.

Bolden Confirmed by U.S. Senate

Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday as the twelfth administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

As administrator, Bolden will lead the NASA team and manage its resources to advance the agency's missions and goals.

"It is an honor to have been nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate to lead this great NASA team," Bolden said. "Today, we have to choose. Either we can invest in building on our hard-earned world technological leadership or we can abandon this commitment, ceding it to other nations who are working diligently to push the frontiers of space."

"If we choose to lead, we must build on our investment in the International Space Station, accelerate development of our next generation launch systems to enable expansion of human exploration, enhance NASA's capability to study Earth's environment, lead space science to new achievements, continue cutting-edge aeronautics research, support the innovation of American entrepreneurs, and inspire a rising generation of boys and girls to seek careers in science, technology, engineering and math."

Bolden's confirmation marks the beginning of his second stint with NASA. His 34-year career with the Marine Corps included 14 years as a member of NASA's Astronaut Office. After joining the office in 1980, he traveled to orbit four times aboard the space shuttle between 1986 and 1994, commanding two of the missions. His flights included deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope and the first joint U.S.-Russian shuttle mission, which featured a cosmonaut as a member of his crew.

During his astronaut career, Bolden also drew technical assignments as the Astronaut Office safety officer; technical assistant to the director of Flight Crew Operations; special assistant to the director of the Johnson Space Center; chief of the Safety Division at Johnson (overseeing safety efforts for the return to flight after the 1986 Challenger accident); lead astronaut for vehicle test and checkout at the Kennedy Space Center; and assistant deputy administrator at NASA Headquarters. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in May 2006.

Immediately prior to Bolden's nomination for the NASA administrator's job, he was employed as the chief executive officer of JACKandPANTHER LLC, a small business enterprise providing leadership, military and aerospace consulting, and motivational speaking. A resident of Houston, the 62-year-old South Carolina native earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968. He completed flight training in 1970 and became a naval aviator, serving as a combat pilot in Southeast Asia and later, as a test pilot. Bolden retired from the Marine Corps in 2003 with the rank of major general.

Today we celebrate the career of NASA Administrator Charles Bolden with a retrospective narrated by LeVar Burton.

A final moment with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Deputy Administrator Dava Newman.

"Deputy Administrator Newman and I recorded this farewell message to the NASA workforce to convey our gratitude for our time at the helm of NASA. Please accept our best wishes and hopes for the future of this great agency. It has been a pleasure working with you."

Former NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman, left, and former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden pose for a photograph after the unveiling of their official portraits on, Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Bolden served as NASA's Administrator from July 2009 to January 2017 and Newman served as NASA's Deputy Administrator from January 2015 to January 2017. The two portraits will be displayed in a hallway at NASA Headquarters that has portraits dating back to the beginning of NASA.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden greets Lucas Yaroschuk, 3, of Arlington, Va., during a stargazing event at Hoffman-Boston Elementary School in Arlington, Va. on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013.