Retired astronaut Leland Melvin told a Space Center Houston audience Thursday, Sept. 10, that childhood curiosity and second chances shaped his path from college football to the International Space Station.

Melvin spoke as part of the center's Thought Leader Series, a program presented by the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) that brings leading figures in science and exploration to the NASA Parkway campus. Retired astronaut and Space Center Houston Chief Science Officer Megan McArthur moderated the evening, KGTX 7 reported.

A former NASA astronaut, engineer and NFL wide receiver, Melvin flew two Space Shuttle missions aboard Atlantis and logged more than 565 hours in space helping build the station, according to Space Center Houston. A football injury ended his playing career, and a near-deafness diagnosis later threatened his future at NASA. He went on to lead the agency's education initiatives.

Melvin traced his love of science to small moments at home. Engineering projects with his father and a chemistry set gifted by his mother sparked his interest early, he said. He majored in chemistry.

After an incident that nearly got him expelled from college, someone took a chance on him, Melvin said. The one condition: complete undergraduate research for all four years. That person, along with his high school coach, became the mentors he credits with redirecting his life.

He connected the lesson to two children's books, The Little Engine That Could and Curious George. The stories taught him to believe in second chances and to seek out mentors, he said. He urged young people to find their own version of the storybook's "man in the yellow hat," the figure who believes in them.

McArthur, who moderated the discussion, is Space Center Houston's first chief science officer. She is a scientist, oceanographer and engineer who retired from NASA on Aug. 29, 2025, after flying on the Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission and SpaceX Crew-2.

Coming up

The next Thought Leader Series event is "An Evening with Kellie Gerardi," scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, at Space Center Houston. Gerardi is a research astronaut, payload specialist and science communicator. Registration information is available on Space Center Houston's website.