Logging a total of 723 hours in orbit, Steven R. Nagel served as a pilot and commander during four Space Shuttle missions throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His career transitioned from tactical fighter aviation to technical leadership within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, ultimately culminating in his role as an instructor at the University of Missouri.
Military Aviation and Test Pilot Training
Nagel graduated from the University of Illinois in 1969 with a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. Commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, he completed pilot training in 1970 and flew F-100 aircraft with the 68th Tactical Fighter Squadron in Louisiana. Following a tour instructing the Laotian Air Force on T-28 aircraft, he returned to the United States to serve as an A-7D instructor. He attended the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in 1975, later working as a test pilot on F-4 and A-7D projects.
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Selected as a NASA astronaut in 1979, Nagel flew his first mission, STS-51G, in 1985 as a mission specialist. Later that year, he served as pilot for STS-61A, which utilized the West German D-1 Spacelab. By 1991, he acted as commander for STS-37, during which the crew deployed the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and performed unscheduled spacewalks. His final flight, STS-55 in 1993, involved commanding the German D-2 Spacelab mission, where he oversaw 89 scientific experiments.
Technical Leadership and Academic Career
Beyond his flight duties, Nagel held roles including Acting Chief of the Astronaut Office in 1991 and deputy director for operations development at the Johnson Space Center. After retiring from the Air Force and NASA in 1995, he served as a research pilot. In 2011, he joined the University of Missouri College of Engineering, instructing students in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department and working as a retention specialist until his death in 2014.
Fast facts
- Born: 1946, Canton, Illinois
- Died: 2014, Columbia, Missouri
- Military Rank: Colonel
- Total Space Flight Time: 723 hours
- Education: University of Illinois; California State University, Fresno
- Selected for NASA: 1979
- Notable Awards: NASA Distinguished Service Medal (1994)
Questions readers ask
How many missions did Steven R. Nagel fly?
He was a veteran of four space flights: STS-51-G, STS-61-A, STS-37, and STS-55.
What did he do after retiring from NASA?
He worked as a research pilot and eventually became an instructor at the University of Missouri.
Achievements
- Affiliated with National Aeronautics and Space Administration and University of Missouri
- Educated at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and California State University, Fresno
- Worked as military officer, astronaut and military flight engineer
