SUMMER 2019|INNOVATION & TECH TODAY 63
a payloadspecialist,logging 565 hoursinspace
- a littleoverthreeweeks.Today,theonly
Americanastronauttoeversigna professional
sportscontractistheproudowneroftheNFL
PlayersAssociation’s“AwardforExcellence”for
inspiringacademicachievementandexcellence
amongcurrentandformerplayers.
WhileMelvin,a masterfulstoryteller,can
spenddaysengrossedinspacestationstories,he
preferstofocusonwhathappenedafterhe
returnedtoearth.Along-helddesiretoeducate
youngerpeopletothemysteryandopportunity
ofspacetravel,exploration,andresearchfound
itsvitalmissingpiece:histhree-weekexperience
ontheInternationalSpaceStation.By2010,he
wassittingwithPresidentObama,writing
federalSTEMguidelines,headingupNASA’s
Educationprogram– includingSpaceCamp –
andturninghisloveofscience,thearts,
exploration,andlearningintosomethingthat
helpedexplodetheSTEMcurriculum.Through
it all,hehaswrittenbooksandtakenonhigh-
profileprojectstoemphasizehowtoday’s
educationaltracksarewell-poised to deliver
tomorrow’s explorers.
“Whenkidssignupforrobotics,orIT,ortheir
STEMclasses,andwhentheyplayontheir
mobiledevices,they’redoingthingsthatfeed
rightintowhatweneedmovingforwardon
Marsanddeepspaceexploration,”Melvinsaid.
“Theyhavenoproblemswitchingtonew
programs,apps,technologieswhentheycome
out,andtheyknowhowtoputthingstogether
andproblemsolvedifficultchallenges.What
theycouldbea partofisthenext chapter in our
historyashumanbeings.
“WhatoftenisforgottenabouttheApollo
yearsisthat,from 1961 to1969,wewentfroma
seeminglyimpossiblepipedreamofa young,
newPresidenttolandingontheMoon.WhileI
doubtwewillseea governmenteffortlikethat
again,wedidput400,000peopletoworkonthe
spaceprogram,andwestillusetechnologies
todaythatweredevelopedforthosemissions.
Sinceonlya veryfewwillgetthechancetoflyto
Mars,I liketofocusontheSTEMstudentswho
areliterallygoingtocreatethenextsetofnew
technologies,newwaysofdoingthings.Andif
theybringinthecreativepiece,the‘A’in
STEAM,theirartspiece– whateverit maybe–
will give us the story, creative problem-solving,vision,andperspectivetohelpotherswrap
themselvesaroundfuturespaceexploration.”
Thebeatgoeson– andsodotheaccolades.
MelvinwaschosenasanICONMANNwith
QuincyJones,ForrestWhitaker,SteveHarvey,
and 24 othermenselectedfortheirabilityto
inspirepeopleofallagesthroughtheirvision
andcommitmenttocreatingpositivechange
throughouttheworld.Healsoservedonthe
prestigious International Space Education
Board.
“Mylifeturnedouta lotdifferentlythanI
imagined,”Melvinsaid.“Ineverthoughtof
beinganNFLplayer,really,butwhenI was
drafted,I definitelythoughtI hada goodchance
tomaketheLionsandhavethatkindofcareer.
Itdidn’tworkout,butbecauseI hada good
educationanda prettygoodideathatI would
workinsomethingthatcombinesscienceand
thisvisionofa betterworld,I wasopento
opportunities– andI endedupatNASA.”
Sodidthehopesofcountlessthousandsof
STEMstudentsandteacherswhohavebeen
touchedbyMelvin’sworkthroughoutthis
decade, whether or not they knowit.■(Above)MelvinrodeontheNASAGlennResearchCenterfloatthatdepictedtheSpaceShuttle
Discovery.ThefloatwontheJaniceC.Meyerawardforexceptionalmeritduringtheparade.Photo
NASA/ChrisLynch.(Left)NASA’sAssistantAdministratorforEducationLelandMelvintrieshishandat
controllinga roboticsworkstationduringa tourofAEROInstitute’sSpaceShuttleteacherworkshop
areainPalmdale,CA.PhotoNASA/TomTschida.(Right)MayorJamesLedfordoftheCityofPalmdale,CA,
andNASA’sAssistantAdministratorforEducationLelandMelvingeta laughoutofa poster
depictingthe“Up-GoerFive”caricatureofa largemulti-stagerocketduringMelvin’svisittothe
AEROInstituteinPalmdale.TheAEROInstituteis operatedundera partnershipbetweentheCityof
Palmdale, NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, and several universities.Photo NASA/Tom Tschida