Steven R . Nagel Steven Ray Nagel ( born October 27 , 1946 ) is a retired Colonel in the USAF and a former NASA astronaut . Personal data . Born October 27 , 1946 , in Canton , Illinois . Married to fellow astronaut Linda M . Godwin of Jackson , Missouri . Two daughters . His hobbies include sport flying and music . His parents , Mr . and Mrs . Ivan R . Nagel , reside in Canton , Illinois . Her father , Mr . James M . Godwin , resides in Oak Ridge , Missouri . Education . Nagel graduated from Canton Senior High School , Canton , Illinois , in 1964 ; received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering ( high honors ) from the University of Illinois in 1969 , and a master of science degree in mechanical engineering from California State University , Fresno , in 1978 . Organizations . Life member of the Order of Daedalians and Alpha Delta Phi ; and honorary member of Phi Eta Sigma , Sigma Tau , Tau Beta Pi , and Sigma Gamma Tau . Special honors . Awarded the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Cluster s ; and for Undergraduate Pilot Training , recipient of the Commander ' s Trophy , the Flying Trophy , the Academic Trophy , and the Orville Wright Achievement Award ( Order of Daedalians ) ; also presented the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal ( 1978 ) . Recipient of 4 NASA Space Flight Medal s , ( 1985 , 1991 , 1993 ) , NASA Exceptional Service Medal s ( 1988 , 1989 ) , NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal ( 1992 ) , AAS Flight Achievement Award , STS - 37 Crew ( 1992 ) , Outstanding Alumni Award , University of Illinois ( 1992 ) , NASA Distinguished Service Medal ( 1994 ) , Distinguished Alumni Award , California State University , Fresno ( 1994 ) , Lincoln Laureate , State of Illinois ( 1994 ) . Experience . Nagel received his commission in 1969 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps ( AFROTC ) program at the University of Illinois . He completed undergraduate pilot training at Laredo Air Force Base , Texas , in February 1970 , and subsequently reported to Luke Air Force Base , Arizona , for F - 100 training . From October 1970 to July 1971 , Nagel was an F - 100 pilot with the 68th Tactical Fighter Squadron at England Air Force Base , Louisiana . He served a 1 - year tour of duty as a T - 28 instructor for the Laotian Air Force at Udon RTAFB , Udon Thani , Thailand , prior to returning to the United States in October 1972 to assume A - 7D instructor pilot and flight examiner duties at England Air Force Base , Louisiana . Nagel attended the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base , California , from February 1975 to December 1975 . In January 1976 , he was assigned to the 6512th Test Squadron located at Edwards . As a test pilot , he has worked on various projects which included flying the F - 4 and A - 7D . He has logged 9 , 400 hours flying time — 6 , 650 hours in jet aircraft . NASA experience . Nagel became a NASA astronaut in August 1979 . His technical assignments have included : backup T - 38 chase pilot for STS - 1 ; support crew and backup entry spacecraft communicator ( CAPCOM ) for STS - 2 ; support crew and primary entry CAPCOM for STS - 3 ; software verification at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory ( SAIL ) and the Flight Simulation Laboratory ( FSL ) ; representing the Astronaut Office in the development of a crew escape system for the Space Shuttle ; Acting Chief of the Astronaut Office . Nagel is a veteran of four space flights ( STS - 51 - G and STS - 61 - A in 1985 , STS - 37 in 1991 , and STS - 55 in 1993 ) as described below : Nagel first flew as a mission specialist on STS - 51G , which launched from the Kennedy Space Center , Florida , on June 17 , 1985 . The crew aboard the Shuttle " Discovery " deployed communications satellites for Mexico ( Morelos ) , the Arab League ( Arabsat ) , and the United States ( AT & T Telstar ) . They used the Remote Manipulator System ( RMS ) to deploy and later retrieve the SPARTAN satellite which performed 17 hours of x - ray astronomy experiments while separated from the Space Shuttle . In addition , the crew activated the Automated Directional Solidification Furnace ( ADSF ) , six " Getaway Special s , " participated in biomedical experiments , and conducted a laser tracking experiment as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative . After completing approximately 170 hours of space flight , " Discovery " landed at Edwards Air Force Base , California , on June 24 , 1985 . Nagel then flew as pilot on STS - 61A , the West German D - 1 Spacelab mission , which launched from Kennedy Space Center , Florida , on October 30 , 1985 . This mission was the first in which payload activities were controlled from outside the United States . More than 75 scientific experiments were completed in the areas of physiological science s , materials processing , biology , and navigation . After completing 111 orbits of the Earth , Shuttle " Challenger " landed at Edwards Air Force Base , California , on November 6 , 1985 . On his third flight , Nagel was commander of STS - 37 , which launched into orbit on April 5 , 1991 , from Kennedy Space Center , Florida , and landed on April 11 , 1991 , at Edwards Air Force Base , California . During this mission the crew aboard the Shuttle " Atlantis " deployed the Gamma Ray Observatory ( GRO ) for the purpose of exploring gamma ray sources throughout the universe , and conducted the first scheduled space walk in more than five and one - half years . Also , the crew performed the first successful unscheduled space walk to free a stuck antenna on GRO . Nagel also served as commander of STS - 55 , the German D - 2 Spacelab mission . After launching on April 26 , 1993 , on the Shuttle " Columbia " ; the crew landed 10 days later on May 6 , 1993 , at Edwards Air Force Base , California . During the ambitious mission 89 experiments were performed in many disciplines such as materials processing , life sciences , robotics , technology , astronomy and earth mapping . With the completion of his fourth flight , Nagel has logged a total of 723 hours in space . Nagel retired from the Air Force , effective February 28 , 1995 . He retired from the Astronaut Office , effective March 1 , 1995 , to assume the full - time position of Deputy Director for Operations Development , Safety , Reliability , and Quality Assurance Office , Johnson Space Center , Houston , Texas . In September 1996 , Nagel transferred to Aircraft Operations Division where he performs duties as a Research Pilot . In the fall of 2011 , Nagel and his wife Linda moved to Columbia , Missouri , where they both are now teaching at the University of Missouri . Nagel is a retention specialist in the College of Engineering and instructor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department , specializing in aerospace propulsion ; Godwin is a professor in the physics department , specializing in astronomy .