Charlie Bolden on Pathways to Space

Kathy Sullivan Explores

Charles Frank Bolden Jr. is a retired US Marine Corps Major General and former NASA astronaut. After flying on four space shuttle missions—STS-61-C, STS-31, STS-45, and STS-60—Charlie was appointed by former President, Barack Obama, to serve as the 12th Administrator of NASA from 2009 to 2017, making him the first African American to head the agency permanently. Today, Charlie is the Founder and CEO Emeritus of the Charles F. Bolden Group, a consortium of accomplished leaders founded in 2017 to foster international collaboration in making life better for all humanity.

Charlie joins me today to discuss the qualities aspiring astronauts need to cultivate to be chosen for modern space programs. You’ll hear about his career at NASA and the characteristics he thinks made him a NASA astronaut. He explores how the dawn of the new space age may change selection preferences for would-be astronauts. You’ll also learn the value of being a team player and why being a jack-of-all-trades is essential to becoming an astronaut of today and tomorrow.

“You will be technicians, scientists, and researchers all in one—and that’s the kind of people we’re going to be looking for.” - Charlie Bolden

This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:

• Qualities and characteristics NASA looked for in astronaut candidates in the 1980s
• Civil rights in the 1980s and the psychological implications of growing up in the segregated South
• Why being a team player is a high-value trait for NASA astronauts
• Diversity as a trait of a high-performing organization
• Why being a good fighter pilot doesn’t necessarily mean being a great astronaut
• The lack of diversity in NASA’s Apollo era and how astronaut selection preferences have changed since
• How the dawn of commercial spaceflight is changing preferences for would-be astronauts
• How commercial spacecraft may change the employment prospects of future astronauts
• The kind of crew NASA may seek for the Artemis program and beyond
• Jessica Watkins, Kate Rubins, Peggy Whitson, and why researchers may be the astronauts of the future
• Ridley Scott’s The Martian and what it takes to be a modern-day astronaut

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut by Mike Mullane

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “A great test pilot isn’t necessarily going to be a great astronaut; a great test pilot with a big ego is going to be a lousy astronaut.” - Charlie Bolden
• “The astronauts of today and tomorrow are not going to have the opportunity to train over and over again on something because they’ll find that every day is something new.” - Charlie Bolden

Related Episodes:

• The Life of a Visionary with Charlie Bolden
• The Birth of the New Space Age with Charlie Bolden

Connect with Charlie Bolden:

• The Charles Bolden Group
• The Charles F. Bolden Group on LinkedIn
• The Charles F. Bolden Group on Instagram
• The Charles F. Bolden Group on YouTube
• The Charles F. Bolden Group on Twitter
• Charlie Bolden on LinkedIn
• Charlie Bolden on Twitter

Spaceship Not Required

I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.

I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.

In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are--spaceship not required.

Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.

Visit my website at kathysullivanexplores.com to sign up for seven astronaut tips to improving your life on earth and be the first to discover future episodes and learn about more exciting adventures ahead!

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