The first colored person to be NASA's leader

US President Barack Obama has appointed former African astronaut Charles Frank Bolden to lead the Aerospace Agency (NASA).

Major General Charles Bolden in a photo taken in 1992. Photo: AP.

Bolden's appointment was made a day before the Atlantis spacecraft returned to Earth after completing the Hubble space telescope. If approved by the Senate, he will become the first black leader in NASA's 50-year history and the second astronaut to run the agency.

In 2002, former President George Bush once appointed Bolden as deputy director of NASA, but was not approved by parliament. The Pentagon said that before flying into the Bolden universe, it had performed more than 100 flights in the previous war in Vietnam and wore a military rank of major. He flew into space 4 times. The former astronaut used to hold many technical and management positions at NASA, in which the highest position was NASA assistant deputy director. He retired in 1994.

'Bolden knows NASA and Americans know Bolden. That is a favorable factor, especially in the context of NASA facing the unstable future , 'said former astronaut Steve Hawley, who once flew with Bolden.

Bolden, 62, will take over NASA in the face of more difficulties than he was when he joined astronaut in 1980. During the reign, former President Bush had a problem plans to stop using the shuttle fleet at the end of next year and bring astronauts back to the moon before landing on Mars.

However, the replacement of space shuttles will not be completed before 2015. Therefore, in the period from now until 2015, US astronauts can only go to space by "flying" in the Russian ship. In addition, NASA no longer has the money to fund some of its biggest science programs.

In early May, the White House ordered a re-examination of the entire space conquest program with a manned shuttle. The Obama administration has yet to announce a clear view on policies related to the conquest of the universe. John Holdren, White House scientific adviser, said the specific policy will be put in place after NASA has a new leader.