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Bill NelsonUS astronaut, NASA administrator
Date of Birth: 01.01.1942
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Content:
- Bill Nelson: A Life of Exploration and Service
- Military Service and Legal Career
- Political Career
- Space Flight
- Return to Politics
- NASA Administrator
- Awards and Honors
Bill Nelson: A Life of Exploration and Service
Early Life and EducationBill Nelson was born on September 29, 1942, in Miami, Florida. He attended high school in Melbourne, Florida, where he graduated in 1960. He went on to study at the University of Florida before transferring to Yale University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1965. He later obtained a law degree from the University of Virginia.
Military Service and Legal Career
Nelson joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 1965 and served on active duty from 1968 to 1970. He attained the rank of Captain and remained in the reserves until 1971. In 1968, he was admitted to the Florida Bar and began practicing law in Melbourne in 1970.
Political Career
Nelson's political career began in 1971 when he became an assistant to Governor Reubin Askew for legislation. In 1972, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where he served from 1973 to 1978. In 1978, Nelson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served from 1979 to 1991.
Space Flight
In 1984, Nelson was selected as part of NASA's "Politician in Space" program. Two years later, he became the second member of Congress (and the first from the House of Representatives) to fly in space. He trained at NASA with Senator Jake Garn of Utah.
Nelson served as a payload specialist on the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-61C from January 12 to 18, 1986. The mission's objectives included deploying the American communications satellite Satcom-K1. Due to camera battery issues, however, an experiment to photograph Halley's Comet was not completed.
Return to Politics
Nelson ran for Governor of Florida in 1992 but lost. In November 2000, he was elected to the U.S. Senate from Florida. From 2008, he chaired the Senate subcommittee overseeing NASA. He lost his reelection bid to Governor Rick Scott in November 2018.
NASA Administrator
After leaving the Senate, Nelson served on NASA's advisory council from 2019. On April 30, 2021, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed him as the Administrator of NASA.
Awards and Honors
Nelson has received numerous awards and honors, including the NASA Space Flight Medal (1986).