What It Takes To Go To Space

About Leland Melvin

As a former NASA astronaut, Leland Melvin has twice flown on the space shuttle Atlantis to the International Space station, where he helped to install the station’s Columbus Laboratory. He credits his NASA career to his childhood fascination with science, both formally in the classroom and informally as he tinkered with skateboards to make them faster and family vehicles to customize them for family vacations. After returning to earth, he served as NASA’s Associate Administrator for Education, and continues to teach students about STEM, spaceflight, and perseverance as a teacher for the Varsity Tutors StarCourse series.

About the class

Today’s space enthusiasts will become tomorrow’s Armstrongs and Aldrins, as mankind is on a mission to return to the moon, set foot on Mars, and learn to live and work in space. The destinations are clear, but what about the plan to get there? Join NASA astronaut Leland Melvin for an interactive discussion of what it takes to space, including what he did to get there and what challenges lie ahead for the brave astronauts of the Mars generation and beyond. Come ready to ask questions, solve simulated space problems, and take control of your mission to explore new worlds.