Then-Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., with Sen. Chuck Schumer at the U.S. Capitol in 2018. Nelson has been chosen to lead NASA. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
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Air Force Col. Steven Nagel joined NASA in 1978 and flew four space shuttle missions, logging more than 700 hours in space. He retired from the space agency in 2011. Nagel died of cancer on Thursday. NASA hide caption
Endeavour passed by the Golden Gate Bridge today. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
Space shuttle Endeavour, attached to a 747, on the tarmac at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bill Ingalls/NASA/UPI /Landov hide caption
April 12, 1981: Columbia was the first shuttle to launch. AFP/Getty Images hide caption