Leland D. Melvin
Leland Devon Melvin is an American engineer, former professional football player, NASA astronaut, educator, and public communicator. His career is unusually broad, moving from athletics to robotics and STEM education.
- Born
- February 15, 1964
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Lynchburg, Virginia,United States
Flights
2
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
23 days, 13 hours, 28 minutes
Bio
Melvin studied chemistry and materials science before working at NASA Langley on nondestructive evaluation and aerospace materials. NASA selected him with Astronaut Group 17 in 1998.
He flew STS-122 and STS-129, both International assembly and logistics missions. On STS-122, Atlantis delivered the European Columbus laboratory; on STS-129, the crew delivered external spare hardware.
After flying, Melvin led NASA education work and became a major public voice for STEM outreach, inclusion, and spaceflight storytelling.