Leland D. Melvin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leland D. Melvin
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Official portrait, 2009
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Leland Devon Melvin
February 15, 1964 Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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23d 13h 28m |
| Selection | NASA Group 17 (1998) |
| Missions | STS-122 STS-129 |
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Mission insignia
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| College football career | |
| Richmond Spiders – No. 4 | |
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Major | Chemistry |
| Career history | |
| High school | Heritage (Lynchburg, VA)
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Leland Devon Melvin (born February 15, 1964) is an American engineer and a retired NASA astronaut. He flew on the Space Shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist for two different missions. Before joining NASA, he was a professional football player. Melvin also served as the NASA Associate Administrator for Education, helping to inspire students about science and space.
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Early Life and Education
Leland Melvin was born on February 15, 1964, in Lynchburg, Virginia. He went to Heritage High School. After high school, he attended the University of Richmond on a football scholarship. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry. In 1989, he received a master's degree in Materials Science Engineering from the University of Virginia.
Leland's parents, Deems and Grace, live in Lynchburg, Virginia. In his free time, Leland enjoys photography, playing the piano, reading, music, cycling, tennis, and snowboarding.
Football Star
Leland Melvin was a talented wide receiver for the University of Richmond football team from 1982 to 1985. He holds records at the university for career receptions (198) and receiving yards (2,669). He also scored 16 career touchdowns. He was recognized as an All-America selection in 1984 and 1985.
Melvin was a team captain in his final year, 1985. That year, he had his best season with 65 catches for 956 yards and eight touchdowns. He caught at least one pass in every game he played for Richmond, which was 39 games.
He was inducted into the University of Richmond Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996–97. He was also chosen for the All-UR Stadium Team in 2009. This team honors the best players who played at the stadium over its 81-year history.
In 1986, the Detroit Lions picked Melvin in the 11th round of the 1986 NFL draft. Unfortunately, he pulled a hamstring muscle during training camp and was released. Later, he joined the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts for a short time. He also tried out for the Dallas Cowboys, but another hamstring injury ended his professional football career.
Becoming an Astronaut
After his football career, Leland Melvin began working at NASA's Langley Research Center in 1989. He worked in the Nondestructive Evaluation Sciences Branch. His job involved using special optical fiber sensors to check for damage in spacecraft parts. He also led a team for the NASA/Lockheed Martin X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle program.
In June 1998, Melvin was selected to become an astronaut. He worked in the Astronaut Office Space Station Operations Branch. He also helped manage NASA's Educator Astronaut Program. In this role, he traveled across the United States. He talked to teachers and students about space exploration and encouraged them to study science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Later, he worked in the Robotics Branch of the Astronaut Office. In October 2010, Melvin became the associate administrator for NASA's Office of Education. He was in charge of developing NASA's education programs. These programs aimed to get people excited about science and technology. He retired from NASA in February 2014.
Space Missions
Leland Melvin flew on two missions aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. He served as a mission specialist on both STS-122 and STS-129. In total, he spent over 565 hours in space.
- STS-122 (February 7 to 20, 2008): This was the 24th shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The main goal was to deliver and install the European Space Agency's Columbus (ISS module) laboratory. Astronauts performed three spacewalks to prepare the Columbus Lab for scientific work. The mission also brought a new crew member to the ISS and returned another one to Earth. The STS-122 mission lasted nearly 13 days.
- STS-129 (November 16 to 29, 2009): This was the 31st shuttle flight to the International Space Station. During this mission, the crew delivered two large carriers filled with spare parts for the ISS. These parts were important for the station's power and cooling systems. The mission also included three spacewalks. STS-129 lasted almost 11 days and brought a NASA astronaut back to Earth after her time on the space station.
Life After NASA
Since retiring from NASA, Leland Melvin has given many talks about his experiences in space. He also shares stories about his football career. He has published two books: Chasing Space: An Astronaut's Story of Grit, Grace, and Second Chances and Chasing Space: Young Reader's Edition. Both books came out in 2017.
In his free time, he enjoys playing the piano, cooking, and walking his dogs. He has appeared in several National Geographic space documentaries. In 2021, he was featured in the Netflix series Dogs, where he climbed a mountain with his dogs, Roux and Zorro.
In 2015, a photo of Leland Melvin with his rescue dogs, Jake and Scout, became very popular online. The picture was taken in 2009. Melvin had secretly brought his dogs into the Johnson Space Center for his official photoshoot. He quickly took the photo with his dogs showing him affection. This famous picture was later used on the cover of his autobiography, Chasing Space. Sadly, Scout and Jake passed away in 2012 and 2013.
Gallery
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Leland Melvin and Pharrell Williams present a montage to Quincy Jones.
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Melvin on the NASA Glenn Research Center float during the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival Timken Grand Parade.
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Melvin, center, blasts off a rocket for young participants at a 'Build the Future' event sponsored by LEGO at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex.
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Melvin (center) with STS-129 crew members boarding the astrovan
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Leland Melvin inside the US lab
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Leland with his crewmates in the Destiny lab during STS-122
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STS-129 crew commander, Robert Satcher and Leland Melvin in Node 2 of the International Space Station
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STS-129 crew members in Node 1
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Leland floating inside the Airlock.
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Floating water. Barry E. Wilmore photobombing.
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Working on Robotic equipment in the US lab
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Melvin inside the JEM
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Inside the Zvezda Service Module during STS-122
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Melvin (upper left), Robert Satcher (upper right) and Nicole Stott form a crew photo circle in Node 2 during STS-129
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Shuttle training
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STS-129 docking welcome event
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Melvin presents Arlene and Joel Levine with the National Alliance of Black School Educators Presidential Award.
See also
In Spanish: Leland D. Melvin para niños
