Leland Melvin is a former NFL player, astronaut, engineer, author and executive producer whose remarkable career spans sports, space exploration and education.

He joined NASA as an engineer and later became an astronaut, flying on two Space Shuttle Atlantis missions to the International Space Station in 2008 and 2009, contributing to critical research and operations in orbit. He’s also served as co-chair of the White House’s Federal Coordination in (STEM) Education Task Force, and was the United States representative and chair of the International Space Education Board (ISEB), fostering global collaboration in space education.