Steven Nagel, Space Shuttle astronaut, born October 27, 1946

Steven Nagel, born October 27, 1946 in Columbia, Missouri, went into space four times.

His first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-51-G) as mission specialist in June 1985.  It was Shannon Lucid's first flight as well.

His second flight was aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) as pilot in October-November 1985.  It was the last successful flight of Challenger and holds the record for the largest crew - eight - aboard any since spacecraft for the entire mission.

His third mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-37) as commander in April 1991.  The mission included two EVAs, the first since 1985. 

His fourth and final mission was aboard Columbia (STS-55) as commander in April-May 1993.  The mission hosted 88 experiments from 11 different nations.

He was married to fellow astronaut Linda Godwin.  

Nagel passed away in August 2014 from advanced melanoma.

Atlantis (STS-37) launched 1991

STS-37 crew

Front row (L-R): Kenneth Cameron, Steven Nagel, Linda Godwin

Back row (L-R): Jay Apt, Jerry Ross

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-37), launched April 5, 1991, carried the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) and the Chadra X-ray Observatory into space.  Its crew consisted of Commander Steven Nagel, Pilot Kenneth Cameron, Linda Godwin, Jerry Ross and Jay Apt.

Ross and Apt conducted two EVAs during the mission for a total of more than 10 hours.  The crew returned to Earth April 11.

STS-51-G launched 1985

STS-51-G crew:

Front Row (L-R): Daniel Bradenstein, John Creighton

Back Row (L-R): Shannon Lucid, Steven Nagel, John Fabian, Saiman Al Saud, Patrick Baudry

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-51-G), launched June 17, 1985, carried Sultan Saiman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia into orbit.  He is the first Arab, first Muslim and the first member of a royal family to travel into space.

The entire crew consisted of Commander Daniel Brandenstein, Pilot John Creighton, John Fabian, Steven Nagel, Shannon Lucid, Patrick Baudry, and Saud (Royal Saudi Air Force).  During the mission, the Arabsat-1B (Arab Satellite Communications Organization) was deployed.

They returned to Earth June 24.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Linda Godwin!

Linda Godwin, born July 2, 1952 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, is a veteran of four space shuttle flights.  After getting her doctorate in physics, she joined NASA in 1980 and became an astronaut in 1986.

Her first flight was on Atlantis (STS-37) as mission specialist in April 1991.

Her second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-59) as mission specialist in April 1994.  She assisted in photographing supersites, places NASA has identified to track a variety of contributors to track climate change.  She took clear pictures of Chickasha, Oklahoma(!), one of 19 supersites.

Her third mission was on Atlantis (STS-76) in March 1996 to the space station Mir, during which she performed the first U.S. spacewalk around two docked spacecraft with fellow astronaut Michael Clifford.

Her fourth and final mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-108) in December 2001.  She and fellow astronaut Daniel Tani completed a four hour, 12 minute spacewalk to install insulation on the International Space Station's main solar arrays.

Godwin was married to fellow astronaut Steven Nagel until his death in 2014.

Columbia (STS-55) launched 1993

Seated (L-R): Terence Henricks,  Steven Nagel, Charles Precourt; 

Standing (L-R): Bernard Harris, Hans Schlegel, Jerry Ross, Ulrich Walter

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-55), launched April 26, 1993, carried the second reusable German Spacelab into orbit.  The first one flew on STS-61-A in October 1985.  Its crew consisted of Commander Steven Nagel, Pilot Terence T. Henricks, Jerry Ross, Charles Precourt, Bernard Harris, Ulrich Walter and Hans Schlegel (both from the German Aerospace Center [DLR]).

The crew conducted almost 90 experiments from over 11 countries, during the 10-day trip.

They returned to Earth May 6.

Challenger (STS-61-A) launched 1985, ninth and final flight

Back row (L-R): Steven Nagel, Guy Bluford, Ernst Messerschmid, Wubbo Ockels

Front row (L-R): Reinhard Furrer, Bonnie Dunbar, James Buchli, Henry Hartsfield

Space Shuttle Challenger blasted off October 30, 1985, on what would be its final flight.  It still holds the distinction for having the largest crew (8) on board from launch to landing.  The mission was funded, directed and controlled by West Germany, so the mission is also known as D-1.

Her record-setting crew was: Commander Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr.; Pilot Steven R. Nagel; Mission Specialist 1 Bonnie J. Dunbar; Mission Specialist 2 James F. Buchli; Mission Specialist 3 Guion S. Buford; Payload Specialist 1 Reinhard Furrer; Payload Specialist 2 Ernst Messerschmid; and Payload Specialist Wubbo Ockels (the Netherlands).

Wubbo Ockels, born in Amsterdam, was the first Dutch citizen to go to space.  This was the only mission in space for him and the two German scientists. 

Guy Bluford is the first African-American astronaut to space twice.  He would go into space 2 more times. 

Challenger would be destroyed with her entire crew in January 1986.