Lynchburg Astronaut to visit Liberty University

Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: March 19, 2008

Lynchburg’s astronaut, Leland Melvin, is coming home.

Melvin is scheduled to speak at a public convocation service at Liberty University on April 7 as part of his first trip to his hometown since a 13-day mission on the Space Shuttle Atlantis last month.

Although a detailed schedule has not been completed, Melvin may also make other local appearances as well, said Barry Moore, Liberty’s vice president of university relations.

“While he’s here, he may work out other places to visit, and that’s fine with us,” Moore said. “We’re just happy to have the astronaut back in Lynchburg, sharing some of his experiences in space and on the ground.”

The university is paying to fly Melvin from Houston NASA to Lynchburg, Moore said, but the exact dates the astronaut will arrive and leave have not been determined.

At the college, Melvin is scheduled to speak to the Monday morning convocation, which will be open to the public and held at the school’s Vines Center.
“Additionally, we’re going to ask astronaut Melvin if he will speak to a combined engineering and aeronautics class,” Moore said.

Melvin, 44, grew up near Fort Avenue in Lynchburg, the youngest child and only son of teachers Grace and Deems Melvin. His parents and sister, Cathy Melvin Clarke, still reside here.

He graduated from Heritage High School in 1982 and played a key role aboard the space shuttle Atlantis, operating a 58-foot robotic arm to install the European Space Agency’s Columbus lab onto the International Space Station.

After the mission, he said the crew would pass on its knowledge to future astronauts before starting a post-flight tour across the U.S. and Europe.
Moore said that bringing Melvin to campus was Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr.’s idea.

“It’s wonderful that NASA and astronaut Melvin have a chance to talk to universities and colleges and high schools around the country,” Moore said, “to share some of what goes on with the United States space program, the challenges that they face, the engineering and science feats that they must overcome. All in all, it’s just a great learning experience for young people.”