7/11/2013 Susan Mumm
Written by Susan Mumm
Astronauts Scott Altman and Steve Nagel, both Aerospace Engineering at Illinois alumni, honored their alma mater in April by returning to campus to present talks about their experiences on space shuttle missions.
Altman, who has flown four space flights and commanded two sent to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, was the keynote speaker for Illinois Space Society’s Illinois Space Day, held April 14. The outreach program invites grade school and high school students and their families to campus to learn about space and space sciences.
Altman, BS 81, gave an overview of how he became an astronaut, highlighting his time at the University of Illinois and his service as a pilot for the U.S. Navy. He told about his mission to repair the Hubble Telescope, describing the training needed for the mission and how he managed when operations did not go as originally planned.
“Scott Altman gave a great talk that really captured the humanizing details of astronauts and fighter pilots,” said ISS organizer Phillip Michel. “His anecdotes were humorous – like always wanting to sound good over the radios – and his talk was inspiring for children and parents alike.”
Gearing his talk for undergraduate and graduate students, Nagel gave a more technical presentation to a campus audience of about 75 people on April 24. His overview examined the hours-long process required for a space shuttle to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.
“It’s like when you’re on a big camping trip and you’re packing to go home; it takes several hours to get ready to descend,” said Nagel, BS 69.
Nagel also is a veteran of four space shuttle flights.