At an exchange with senior
high school students in Hanoi on December 11, Charles Bolden, Administrator of
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the US, attributed
his success to hard work, study and not being afraid of
failure.
Bolden advised the young students not to be afraid to face failure and
persist in their dream and set aside all difficulties. Students must also try to
fully understand what teachers tell, which makes for a firm background for
future careers.
Bolden shared with students his experiences as an
astronaut for NASA as well as NASA’s present and future plans. His humorous
stories of life in space with his colleagues made the students burst into
laughter.
His stories motivated all the
students to want to become astronauts. He said all students including those in
Vietnam have equal opportunities to engage in NASA-funded space research
programs if they have a passion. If the students want to pursue science-related
careers or other fields, they need to prepare to achieve that goal.
When asked about rumors of
apocalypse day on December 21, 2012, Bolden said he is only focused on some
days, one of which is mid 2030 when NASA plans to put a man on Mars.
Moreover, he said nobody can
predict when he or she will fall ill or die; therefore, instead of being so
worried about these matters and the future, people should act to make things
become better while we are still healthy.
|
A 1968 graduate of the United States Naval
Academy, Bolden became a Marine Aviator and test pilot. After his service as an
astronaut, he became Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy.
On May 23, 2009, President Barack Obama announced
the nomination of Bolden as NASA Administrator and Lori Garver as Deputy NASA
Administrator. Bolden was confirmed by the Senate on July 15, 2009.He is the
first African American to head the agency on a permanent basis.
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
more than 680 hours in space. Bolden served as pilot on STS-61-C (January 12–18,
1986) and STS-31 (April 24–29, 1990), and was the mission commander on STS-45
(March 24, 1992 – April 2, 1992), and STS-60 (February 3–11, 1994).
Bolden was the first person to ride the Launch
Complex 39 slide wire basket 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.
In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Bolden
as administrator of NASA. Bolden said his agency's long-term ambition is landing
astronauts on Mars. However, he has cited spending-cuts as a concern for major
NASA projects.
On August 28, 2012, he was the first human being
to have his voice broadcast from the surface of Mars. |
Previous page
Back to top
