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Charles Bolden (b. 1946) is the current Administrator of NASA. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1968, Bolden became a pilot for the Marine Corps, seeing combat during the Vietnam War. He spent time as a test pilot during the 1970s before being selected in 1980 for the astronaut program. During his time as an astronaut he spent more than 28 days in space, taking part in four missions. After leaving NASA, he returned to the military and reached the rank of Major General before retiring in 2004. He was selected by American president Barack Obama to head NASA in 2009, becoming the first African American to head the agency on a permanent basis.Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls