This Friday, Jan. 19, the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science will host a pre-release screening of “The Space Race,” a new National Geographic documentary illuminating the hidden history of pioneering Black astronauts. The event is part of the 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration organized by UVA’s Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
If you’ve seen the famous NASA portrait of a man with two large dogs, you already know Leland Melvin, the event’s special guest. Melvin is an educator dedicated to inspiring youth to explore STEM fields, with past lives in two of the most exclusive communities: the NASA Astronaut Corps and the NFL. His story is one of the accounts depicted in the film. He also served as an executive producer.
An Icon in Education, Space and Athletics
Part of his efforts as an educator to encourage more diverse participation in STEM led to his involvement in “The Space Race.” In the film, Melvin appears alongside other Black astronauts and trailblazers, including Guion Bluford, Ed Dwight and Charles Bolden, among many others. The film empowers Black NASA astronauts to tell their own stories and reveals histories that many of us know too little about.
“When you set out to do the most difficult things, like exploring space, and probing the limits of what humans can do in the field of science, having a diverse crew ensures that you also get a myriad of unique ways to solve problems,” directors Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Lisa Cortés said. “Everyone has something to contribute to the betterment of humankind.”
But this endeavor is only a fragment of Melvin’s uncommon life story.
A Remarkable Journey
Melvin graduated from the University of Richmond with a bachelor’s in chemistry. A skilled college athlete, he was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 1986 NFL draft, though he was later released after an injury to his hamstring. Following a brief stint with the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts, he was recruited by the Dallas Cowboys. Sadly, a second injury brought with it the end of his time with the NFL.
However, Melvin had other talents to fall back on. In 1989, he received his master’s in materials science and engineering from the UVA School of Engineering and began working at the NASA Langley Research Center. While at NASA, he held several positions, including working on sensors designed to help prevent another Columbia tragedy. He also managed the fiber optics lab. It wasn’t until 1998 that Melvin would decide to apply for and be accepted into the Astronaut Corps on his first try. At the time, he was one of only three African Americans training for spaceflight.
During training, Melvin encountered another setback. An underwater accident caused him to go deaf, and he was told he’d never fly in space. Despite doctors being unable to identify the cause of Melvin’s hearing loss, with emergency surgery and time, Melvin miraculously recovered partial hearing. Through dedication and drive, his journey would take him to the stars after all. Once he was cleared to fly, Melvin completed two missions to the International Space Station. On the first, he and his team installed the European Space Agency’s Columbus Laboratory. On his second mission, they delivered replacement parts for the station’s maintenance.
In addition to his space travel, Melvin also served as the co-manager of NASA’s Educator Astronaut Program and became the associate administrator for the Office of Education. In both roles, he directly impacted youth by speaking about STEM and space at schools, raising public awareness and working on NASA’s education programs.
Fueling the Dreams of Future Innovators
Although he retired from NASA in 2014, Melvin’s work as an educator and motivator didn’t stop there. He regularly travels around the country to share his story and inspire kids to explore STEM careers. He’s even taught free online classes on space through a partnership with Varsity Tutors.
In 2017, Melvin added author to his list of accomplishments with the publication of his book, “Chasing Space: An Astronaut’s Story of Grit, Grace and Second Chances.” In the memoir, he recounts his personal story of adversity and success, aiming to instill a similar perseverance in others and embolden “the next generation of explorers.”
“I have overcome setbacks and received timely assists from people who saw something in me even when I hadn’t seen it myself,” he said in the book. “Each act of encouragement, each word of kindness, pointed me toward experiences that only a few can claim.”
Throughout his book, Melvin credits his success in part to his community of support. He never dreamed of becoming an astronaut.
“I somewhat serendipitously ended up at NASA because of a tenacious recruiter,” he said. “I never imagined space travel until the possibility was presented to me. Just hearing the words that I would make a good astronaut changed me.”
It only took one person to set Melvin on his journey to space. Perhaps Melvin will be that one person for countless others.
“The Space Race” screening will take place at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, in Rice Hall, Room 130. More information is available here.