Flight suit worn by Charles F. Bolden during his first spaceflight

Object Details

Caption

Charles F. Bolden graduated from the Naval Academy in 1968 and become a Marine Corps aviator, flying more than 100 combat missions over Southeast Asia. In 1980 he was selected a NASA astronaut and flew four space missions. Bolden was eventually appointed the 12th Administrator of NASA. He retired in 2003 as a major general.

Description

A blue full body flight suit worn by Charles F. Bolden Jr. The suit zippers in the front and has several pockets and patches on it. The front of the suit has three patches on the chest. On the PR breast is the mission patch for STS 61C and features a circular design with an image of the space shuttle and a band displaying the names of the mission's astronauts. On the PR breast is a circular NASA logo patch, above which is a leather nametag reading [CHARLES BOLDEN / MAJOR USMC]. The nametag is a dark leather with golden text and pilot's insignia. On the PR shoulder is a circular patch for the 1980 NASA Astronaut Groups 9, which features the year and a space shuttle launching with nineteen white stars. The PL shoulder has an American flag patch. There are Velcro straps at the waist and zippered sections on the arms and legs for adjustments. The legs have a number of zippered pockets. A manufacturer's tag with handwritten details is sewn to the inside of the suit.

Date

1986

Manufactured by

Gibson & Barnes, American, founded 1977

Worn by

Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr., American, born 1946

Issued by

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, American, founded 1958

Place made

El Cajon, San Diego County, California, United States, North and Central America

Topic

African American

Aeronautics

Clothing and dress

Military

Science

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Clothing - Military Uniforms

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr., USMC (Ret)

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number

2014.243.4

Type

coveralls

uniforms

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

Medium

cloth, metal, leather

Dimensions

On form: 57 1/2 × 16 3/4 × 9 in. (146.1 × 42.5 × 22.9 cm)

Record ID

nmaahc_2014.243.4

Metadata Usage

CC0

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd54e2b5621-ed3a-48dc-a71a-50ee18029dd4