Astronaut Pam Melroy to speak at Wheaton

NASA astronaut Pam Melroy, who recently returned from space, will talk about her experiences in space, including the dramatic and successful mission to the International Space Station that she led this fall.

The lecture will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3, in the Hindle Auditorium. This event is open to the public without charge.

"Pam Melroy is only the second female space commander ever, and as such she is the perfect opener to Women's History Month, which begins in March," said Corinna McFarland, chair of the Women's History Month organizing committee.

Melroy served as mission commander of Discovery's most recent mission, a 15-day flight that lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 23, 2007. The mission's ambitious objectives included installation of a new connecting module to the International Space Station, evaluation of a shuttle tile repair method and the movement of a space station solar energy array into a permanent position. The flight, however, turned out to be more exciting than planned.

During deployment of the station's solar energy array, the flight crew discovered a rip in one of the solar panels. The damage necessitated an unplanned and risky spacewalk to repair the tear and fully open the panel array. The flight also was notable in that it marked the first time that women commanded both the shuttle and the space station at the same time; NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson commanded the space station. (Full details on the mission, including a video overview, are available from NASA.)

In addition to the fall 2007 mission she commanded, Melroy also served as pilot on two flights (in 2000 and 2002). Overall, she has logged over 924 hours (over 38 days) in space.

Melroy was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program in 1983. After completing a master's degree, she attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas and was graduated in 1985. She flew the KC-10 for six years at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana, as a copilot, aircraft commander and instructor pilot. Melroy is a veteran of JUST CAUSE and DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, with over 200 combat and combat support hours. In June 1991, she attended the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Upon her graduation, she was assigned to the C-17 Combined Test Force, where she served as a test pilot until her selection for the astronaut program. She has logged over 5,000 hours flight time in over 50 different aircraft. Melroy retired from the Air Force in February 2007.

Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in December 1994, Melroy reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. She completed a year of training and evaluation and is qualified for flight assignment as a shuttle pilot. Initially assigned to astronaut support duties for launch and landing, she has also worked Advanced Projects for the Astronaut Office. Melroy served on the Columbia Reconstruction Team as the lead for the crew module. She served as deputy project manager for a crew survival investigation team and also performed CAPCOM duties in mission control.