Ronald M. Sega logged over 420 hours in orbit across two Space Shuttle missions, STS-60 and STS-76. His career traverses the fields of aeronautical engineering, academic research, and high-level United States government service. He reached the rank of major general in the Air Force while contributing significantly to international space cooperation and military technology policy.
Academic and Military Foundation
Born in 1952 in Cleveland, Ohio, Sega graduated from Nordonia High School before attending the United States Air Force Academy. He earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and physics in 1974. He later obtained a Master of Science in physics from Ohio State University in 1975 and a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1982. Following pilot training in 1976, he served as an instructor pilot at Williams Air Force Base. His early academic work included designing laboratory facilities for investigating microwave fields at the Air Force Academy and serving as a faculty member at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
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Selected as an astronaut in 1991, Sega played a pivotal role in operational logistics between the United States and Russia. From 1994 to 1995, he served as the NASA Director of Operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, where he became the first American to train in a Russian Orlan EVA suit. He flew on STS-60 in February 1994, the first joint U.S./Russian Shuttle mission, operating the robotic arm for the Wake Shield Facility. During STS-76 in March 1996, he acted as payload commander, managing the transfer of science hardware and supplies to the Russian space station Mir.
Executive Defense and Academic Leadership
After departing NASA in 1996, Sega served as Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. His career shifted toward federal policy in 2001, when he became Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. He served in this capacity through August 2005, later transitioning to the role of Under Secretary of the Air Force from 2005 to 2007. Currently, he maintains affiliations with both Colorado State University and Ohio State University, holding leadership positions focused on energy and environmental research.
Fast facts
- Born: 1952, Cleveland, Ohio
- Military Rank: Major General
- Space Shuttle Missions: STS-60 and STS-76
- Time in Space: Over 420 hours
- Education: United States Air Force Academy, Ohio State University, University of Colorado Boulder
- Former Role: Under Secretary of the Air Force
Questions readers ask
How many space missions did Ronald M. Sega complete?
He completed two space missions: STS-60 in 1994 and STS-76 in 1996.
What was his role during the STS-76 mission?
Sega served as the payload commander and led experiments involving the Biorack facility.
Achievements
- Recorded as military officer, astronaut and engineer
