Melnick Credit - www.spacefacts.de

Personal: Male, Married, Two children. Born in New York, New York, USA.

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: NASA Group 12 - 1987. Inactive Entered space service: 5 June 1987. Left space service: July 1992. Number of Flights: 2.00. Total Time: 12.98 days.

NAME: Bruce E. Melnick (Commander, USCG)

NASA Astronaut

BIRTHPLACE AND DATE: Born December 5, 1949, in New York, New York, but considers Clearwater, Florida, to be his hometown. His father, Mr. Edward S. Melnick, resides in Ft. White, Florida. His mother, Mrs. Rita M. Melnick, is deceased.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Brown hair; green eyes; 5 feet 9 inches; 160 pounds.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Clearwater High School, Clearwater, Florida, in 1967; attended Georgia Tech in 1967-68; received a bachelor of science degree in Engineering (with honors) from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1972, and a master of science degree in aeronautical systems from the University of West Florida in 1975.

MARITAL STATUS: Married to the former Kaye Aughtman of Andulusia, Alabama. Her parents, Mr. & Mrs. LeRoy Parker, reside in Springville, Alabama.

CHILDREN: Son, Jim, July 20, 1978. Daughter, Anna, April 26, 1980.

RECREATIONAL INTERESTS: He enjoys golf, fishing, hunting, running, tennis, woodworking.

ORGANIZATIONS: Member, USCG Academy Alumni Association, USCG Pterodactyl Society, North American Hunters Club, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators; Naval Aviation Museum Foundation.

SPECIAL HONORS: NCAA Academic All American, Football (1971); Navy Helicopter Association Search and Rescue Aircrew Award (1983); Secretary of Transportation Heroism Award (1983); 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses; Coast Guard Commendation Medal; Coast Guard Achievement Medal; National Defense Medal; Humanitarian Service Medal; 4 USCG Unit Commendations; Sea Service Ribbon; Expert Rifle Medal; Expert Pistol Medal; NASA Space Flight Medal, Vladimir M. Komarov Diploma (1990).

EXPERIENCE: Upon graduation from the Coast Guard Academy, Melnick was assigned as a deck watch officer aboard the USCG Cutter STEADFAST, homeported in St. Petersburg, Florida. After 16 months sea duty, he was sent to Navy flight training in Pensacola and participated in the CNTRA's Masters Program. After earning his wings in 1974, and his degree in 1975, he served two 3-1/2 year tours as a Coast Guard Rescue Pilot at CGAS Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and at Sitka, Alaska. He was then assigned to the Aircraft Program Office in Grand Prairie, Texas, where he conducted many of the developmental and acceptance tests on the Coast Guard's HH-65A "Dolphin" helicopter. In 1986 he was transferred to CGAS Traverse City, Michigan, where he served as the Operations Officer until his selection to the astronaut program.

He has logged over 4,900 hours flying time, predominantly in the H-3, H-52, H-65 and T-38 aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in June 1987, Melnick became an astronaut in August 1988, qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on future Space Shuttle flight crews. His technical assignments to date include serving on the Astronaut Support Personnel (ASP) team at the Kennedy Space Center assigned to prepare Shuttle Orbiter cockpits and middecks prior to each flight. He represented the Astronaut Office in the assembly and checkout of the new Space Shuttle Orbiter (OV-105) at the contractor facilities in California, and was the head of the flight software verification team in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL). A veteran of two space flights, Melnick flew on STS-41 in 1990, and STS-49 in 1992. He has logged over 300 hours of space flight.

Melnick first flew on STS-41. The five man crew launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on October 6 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on October 10, 1990. During 66 orbits of the earth the STS-41 crew successfully deployed the ULYSSES spacecraft, starting this interplanetary probe on its four year journey, via Jupiter, to investigate the polar regions of the Sun; operated the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet instrument (SSBUV) to map atmospheric ozone levels; activated a controlled "fire in space" experiment (the Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE); and conducted numerous other middeck experiments involving radiation measurements, polymer membrane production and microgravity effects on plants. Mission duration was 98 hours 10 minutes 04 seconds.

More recently, Melnick served on the crew of STS-49, May 7-16, 1992, aboard the maiden flight of the new Space Shuttle Endeavour. During 141 orbits of the Earth, the STS-49 crew rendezvoused with, captured, attached a new rocket motor to, and deployed the Intelsat VI communications satellite, and conducted the Assembly of Station by EVA methods (ASEM) evaluation. The mission included the most EVAs (4) during a Shuttle flight, the first ever 3 person EVA, and the two longest EVAs in Shuttle history. Melnick performed the duties of flight Engineer (MS-2) and was the principal Remote Manipulator System (RMS) operator throughout the mission.

Commander Melnick is retiring from the U.S. Coastguard and will leave NASA in July 1992. He has accepted the position of Director, Shuttle Processing Improvement Technology with Lockheed Space Operations Company (LOC) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

MAY 1992

• 6 October 1990 Flight: STS-41. Flight Up: STS-41. Flight Back: STS-41. Flight Time: 4.09 days.

• 7 May 1992 Flight: STS-49. Flight Up: STS-49. Flight Back: STS-49. Flight Time: 8.89 days.

5 June 1987 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 12 selected.. The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. First selection after the Challenger accident. 1962 applicants, 117 finalists. Reported to Johnson Space Center on August 17, 1987, to begin their one year training. Seven pilots and eight mission specialists. Two female mission specialists, including the first black woman astronaut. Ten military officers and five civilians (including three from NASA Johnson and one from NASA Marshall).