Bruce E. Melnick
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Bruce Melnick | |
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NASA astronaut | |
Rank | Commander, USCG |
Time in space | 12d 23h 27m |
Selection | NASA Group 12 (1987) |
Missions | STS-41 STS-49 |
Mission insignia |
Bruce Edward Melnick (born December 5, 1949) is a retired American astronaut and United States Coast Guard officer. Following retirement from NASA and the Coast Guard, he entered the aerospace industry. He served as a vice president with the Boeing Co.'s Integrated Defense Systems group, in charge of Boeing's Florida operations at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Melnick retired in 2008 and currently resides on Merritt Island, Florida.
Early life and education
Melnick was born December 5, 1949, in
Coast Guard career
Melnick spent 20 years in the
During his Coast Guard service, Melnick received numerous awards, including two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and the Secretary of Transportation Heroism Award.
In 1992, he received the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Distinguished Alumni Award. He logged over 5,000 hours flying time, predominantly in the
NASA career
Melnick was selected by NASA in 1987. He was the first Coast Guard aviator to participate in the space program and was the first Coast Guard aviator into space. Commander Melnick retired from the U.S. Coast Guard and left NASA in July 1992.[1]
STS-41
Melnick served as a mission specialist during
The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), combined with the Payload Assist Module (PAM-S),[3]: 1 propelled Ulysses towards Jupiter for a gravity assist, slingshotting the spacecraft to its out-of-ecliptic orbit for solar observations.[5] Additionally, STS-41 conducted experiments like the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Instrument (SSBUV), which studied Earth's upper atmosphere,[6] investigations into polymer membrane production (IPMP),[3]: 1 Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space (CHROMEX),[3]: 1 and more.
The STS-41 mission concluded with the successful landing of Discovery at Edwards Air Force Base, Runway 22, on October 10, 1990, at 13:57:19 UTC.[3]: 3
STS-49
Melnick once again served as a mission specialist during STS-49.[7] On May 7, 1992, 23:40:00 UTC, Endeavour launched from LC-39B on its maiden flight.[8]: 1
The primary mission objective involved a series of spacewalks aimed at capturing and repairing the stranded Intelsat VI satellite.[8]: 1 Multiple spacewalks were conducted to retrieve, repair, and redeploy the satellite.[7] The mission featured the first three-person spacewalk, which was an unplanned solution to challenges encountered during the satellite capture.[8]: 3 These spacewalks showcased technical proficiency in orbital servicing and repair and set a record for the longest-duration spacewalks at the time.[7]
STS-49 concluded with the safe landing of Endeavour at the Edwards Air Force Base, Runway 22 on May 16, 1992, at 20:57:38 UTC.[8]: 4
Aerospace-industry career
Melnick is the vice president for
Melnick was formerly the Boeing Company vice president, also at the space center, for the payload ground operations contract with NASA, with 1,600 employees. The contract included all the engineering and facilities support and maintenance activities related to preparing spacecraft and/or payloads for the space shuttle missions prior to launch and after landing. The division also provided support to NASA and its contractors for the International Space Station hardware.
Prior to joining Boeing (McDonnell Douglas at the time), Melnick was vice president/director for shuttle engineering at United Space Alliance, formerly Lockheed Martin Space Operations, from 1994 to 1996. From 1992 to 1994, he was director of process improvement technology at Lockheed Space Operations Company.[1]
Affiliations
Memberships:
- USCG Academy Alumni Association
- USCG Ancient Order of the Pterodactyl
- USCG Aviation Hall of Fame
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Association of Space Explorers
- Coastal Conservation Association
- Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators
- Florida Sport Fishing Association
- Missile, Space & Range Pioneers
- National Management Association
- Naval Aviation Museum Foundation
- North American Hunters Club
- United States Space Foundation
- Civilian Military Council
Boards of directors:
- Astronaut Memorial Planetarium
- Crosswinds Youth Services, Inc.
- National Space Club
- Florida Space Research Institute
- Florida Space Authority
- Economic Development Commission
- Space Coast Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Board of governors:
- Brevard Community CollegeFoundation
Boards of advisors:
- University of Central Florida, College of Engineering
- Florida Institute of Technology, College of Business
- University of West Florida, Institute for Interdisciplinary
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Aeronautical Engineering
- Study of Human and Machine Cognition
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the
- ^ (PDF) from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ Ryba, Jeanne (18 February 2010). "STS-41". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f STS-41 Space Shuttle mission report (PDF) (Technical report). NASA. November 1990. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
- ESA. Archivedfrom the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
- ESA. 12 June 2008. Archivedfrom the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
- ESA. 13 June 2012. Archivedfrom the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Ryba, Jeanne (2 April 2010). "STS-49". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d STS-49: Space Shuttle mission report (PDF) (Technical report). NASA. July 1992. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.