Chasing Space: An Astronaut’s Story of Grit, Grace, and Second Chances

Posted June 1, 2017

In this moving, inspirational memoir, a former NASA astronaut and NFL wide receiver shares his personal journey from the gridiron to the stars, examining the intersecting roles of community, perseverance and grace that align to create the opportunities for success.

Leland Melvin is the only person in human history to catch a pass in the National Football League and in space. Though his path from the gridiron to the heavens was riddled with setbacks and injury, Leland persevered to reach the stars.

While training with NASA, Melvin suffered a severe injury that left him deaf. Leland was relegated to earthbound assignments, but chose to remain and support his astronaut family. His loyalty paid off. Recovering partial hearing, he earned his eligibility for space travel. He served as mission specialist for two flights aboard the shuttle Atlantis, working on the International Space Station.

In this inspirational memoir, the former NASA astronaut and professional athlete offers an examination of the intersecting role of community, perseverance, and grace that align to shape our opportunities and outcomes. Chasing Space is not the story of one man, but the story of many men, women, scientists, and mentors who helped him defy the odds and live out an uncommon destiny.

As a chemist, athlete, engineer and space traveler, Leland’s life story is a study in the science of achievement. His personal insights illuminate how grit and grace, are the keys to overcoming adversity and rising to success.

Book Details:

CHASING SPACE: AN ASTRONAUT’S STORY OF GRIT, GRACE, AND SECOND CHANCES
By Leland Melvin
Publisher: Amistad
ISBN-13: 978-0062496720
$25.99
Available on Amazon.com

CHASING SPACE – YOUNG READERS EDITION
By Leland Melvin
Publisher: Amistad
ISBN-13: 978-0062665928
$12.59
Available on Amazon.com

About the Author
Leland Melvin, a former wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, engineer and NASA astronaut. He served on the space shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist and was named the NASA Associate Administrator for Education in October 2010. He also served as the co-chair on the White House’s Federal Coordination in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Task Force, developing the nation’s five-year STEM education plan. In Spring 2018, he will appear in One Strange Rock, a National Geographic Channel event series that explores life on Earth and its rarity in the universe.

Watch this short video to learn more about Leland Melvin.

Follow Leland on social media:
Twitter – @astro_flow
Facebook – Facebook.com/lelandmelvinpublic
Instagram – @lelandmelvin