Bill Nelson

Clarence William Nelson II is an American politician, attorney, and former astronaut who served from 2001 to 2019 as a United States senator from Florida and from 2021 to 2025 as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). A member of the Democratic Party, Nelson served from 1979 to 1991 as a U.S. representative from Florida's Space Coast, and from 1972 to 1978 as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. In January 1986, he became the second sitting member of Congress to fly in space, after Senator Jake Garn, when he served as a payload specialist on mission STS-61-C aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Before entering politics, he served in the United States Army Reserve during the Vietnam War.

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1942 Website,  Wikimedia, Wikidata
Clarence William Nelson II
astronaut, lawyer, politician, United States, 

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• 

  STS-61-C ⓘ
  human spaceflight

United States, 

1942-09-29T00:00:00Z

1942-09-29T00:00:00Z

1942 Bill Nelson

1955-11-01T00:00:00Z

1955-11-01T00:00:00Z

Q8740

1986-01-12T00:00:00Z

1986-01-12T00:00:00Z

1986 STS-61-C

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Frameless

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, right, and his son Bill Nelson Jr., left, watch the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission.

Pam Melroy, Daniel Filmus, Raúl Kulichevsky, Bill Nelson and Gib Kirkham during a meeting at NASA HQs.

Nelson NASA confirmation

Nelson Hurricane Hunter

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, speaks with the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation in Argentina and Chairman of the Board of the Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE), Daniel Filmus.

President Obama and Advisers Visit Space center DVIDS860257

Former Senator Bill Nelson, is ceremonially sworn-in as the 14th NASA Administrator by Vice President Kamala Harris.

European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher, left, and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson meet in a bilateral meeting during the 36th Space Symposium, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson alongside Argentine President Alberto Fernández during the signature of Argentina to the Artemis Accords. They are joined by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Santiago Cafiero.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Swearing-In Ceremony (NHQ202105030008)

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
event	spaceflight	1986	STS-61-C	human spaceflight	Wikidata
commons	image		NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, right, and his son Bill Nelson Jr., left, watch the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission.		Commons
commons	image		Pam Melroy, Daniel Filmus, Raúl Kulichevsky, Bill Nelson and Gib Kirkham during a meeting at NASA HQs.		Commons
commons	image		Nelson NASA confirmation		Commons
commons	image		Nelson Hurricane Hunter		Commons
commons	image		NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, speaks with the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation in Argentina and Chairman of the Board of the Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE), Daniel Filmus.		Commons
commons	image		President Obama and Advisers Visit Space center DVIDS860257		Commons
commons	image		Former Senator Bill Nelson, is ceremonially sworn-in as the 14th NASA Administrator by Vice President Kamala Harris.		Commons
commons	image		European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher, left, and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson meet in a bilateral meeting during the 36th Space Symposium, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.		Commons
commons	image		NASA Administrator Bill Nelson alongside Argentine President Alberto Fernández during the signature of Argentina to the Artemis Accords. They are joined by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Santiago Cafiero.		Commons
commons	image		NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Swearing-In Ceremony (NHQ202105030008)		Commons