Ken Bowersox

Ken Bowersox sits in a category I find genuinely awe-inspiring. A Navy officer and test pilot turned NASA astronaut, he flew four Space Shuttle missions and logged an extended stay aboard the ISS, and he became the youngest person ever to command a Shuttle at age 38. What impresses me most is the composure that role demands, the same steadiness an Eagle Scout learns early. People who have looked back at Earth from orbit seem to carry a wider perspective than the rest of us. Bowersox feels like a model of disciplined, understated excellence, and I admire him without reservation.

Kenneth Dwane "Sox" Bowersox (born November 14, 1956) is a United States Navy officer and former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of four Space Shuttle missions and an extended stay aboard the International Space Station. When he launched on STS-73 at the age of 38 years and 11 months, he became the youngest person to command a Space Shuttle.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Name (English)

Ken Bowersox

Name (Japanese)

ケネス・バウアーソックス

Reading

けねす・ばうあーそっくす

Born

November 14, 1956 (age 69)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Scorpio / Monkey

Origin

Portsmouth, Virginia, United States

Blood type

Private

Height

Private

Agency

Private

Occupation

military officer / astronaut / test pilot

Elementary school

Private

Junior high

Private

High school

Bedford North Lawrence High School

University

Private

Awards & achievements

• Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"
• United States Astronaut Hall of Fame
• 1998 NASA Distinguished Service Medal
• Eagle Scout

Spouse

Private

Children

Private

Parents

Private

Siblings

Private

Motto

Private

• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B1%E3%83%8D%E3%82%B9%E3%83%BB%E3%83%90%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A2%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BD%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9

Tags

• Virginia
• military officer
• astronaut
• test pilot

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.