The relationship between NASA and the University of Alabama in Huntsville will be underscored next month when the top space chief addresses graduates.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Jr. will be the keynote speaker at UAH's commencement ceremony for the fall semester.
Graduation is set for Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. at the Von Braun Center's Propst Arena in downtown Huntsville.
Bolden is the 12th NASA administrator, appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2009. A former space shuttle astronaut, Bolden He has led the agency in developing a Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will carry astronauts to deep space destinations, such as an asteroid and Mars. He also established a new Space Technology Mission Directorate to develop cutting-edge technologies for the missions of tomorrow.
UAH is expected to award nearly 870 diplomas at its graduation ceremony - 498 bachelor's degrees, 333 master's degrees and 37 doctoral degrees. Bolden will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from UAH during the ceremony.