On October 23, the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security hosted Charles F. Bolden, administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), for a discussion with Barry Pavel, director of the Scowcroft Center.

Bolden, a former astronaut and marine, outlined the current direction of the American space program and underscored the necessity of engaging international partners in an era of fiscal constraint. Although current projects like the James Webb telescope ensure American leadership in the domain of space, an emphasis on STEM education is critical to ensuring the United States cultivates the next generation of scientific pioneers.

A discussion with

Charles F. Bolden
Administrator
NASA

Introduction by

John Schumacher
Vice President, Space
EADS North America

Moderated by

Barry Pavel
Director, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security
Atlantic Council

Major General Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., USMC, (Ret.), began his duties as the twelfth administrator of NASA on July 17, 2009. As administrator, he leads the NASA team and manages its resources to advance the agency’s mission. His thirty-four-year career with the Marine Corps included fourteen 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 US-Russian shuttle mission, which featured a cosmonaut as a member of his crew.

Related Experts: