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Pamela Ann Melroy (Colonel, USAF, RET.) NASA Astronaut
DATA: Born September 17, 1961, in Palo Alto, California. Married to Douglas W. Hollett. Considers Rochester, New York, to be her hometown. Pam enjoys theatre, tap and jazz dancing, reading, cooking, and flying. Her parents, David and Helen Melroy, reside in upstate New York.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Bishop Kearney High School, Rochester, New York, in 1979. Bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College, 1983. Master of science degree in earth & planetary sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1984.
ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the Wellesley College Board of Trustees, the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and the 99s.
SPECIAL HONORS: Recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; Air Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; Aerial Achievement Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; and Expeditionary Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster
EXPERIENCE: 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.
NASA EXPERIENCE: 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. Melroy served as pilot on two flights (STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002), and as mission commander on STS-120 in 2007. She has logged over 924 hours (over 38 days) in space.
SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-92 Discovery (October 11-24, 2000) was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida and returned to land at Edwards Air Force Base, California. During the 13-day flight, the seven member crew attached the Z1 Truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 to the International Space Station using Discovery’s robotic arm and performed four space walks to configure these elements. This expansion of the ISS opened the door for future assembly missions and prepared the station for its first resident crew. The STS-92 mission was accomplished in 202 orbits, traveling 5.3 million miles in 12 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes and 25 seconds.
STS-112 Atlantis (October 7-18, 2002) launched from and returned to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS-112 was an International Space Station assembly mission during which the crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition-5 by delivering and installing the S1 Truss (the third piece of the station's 11-piece Integrated Truss Structure). It took three spacewalks to outfit and activate the new component, during which Melroy acted as internal spacewalk choreographer. STS-112 was the first shuttle mission to use a camera on the External Tank, providing a live view of the launch to flight controllers and NASA TV viewers. The mission was accomplished in 170 orbits, traveling 4.5 million miles in 10 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes.
STS-120 Discovery (October 23-November 7, 2007) launched from and returned to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. During the mission, the Node 2 element named “Harmony” was delivered to the International Space Station. This element opened up the capability for future international laboratories to be added to the station. In addition, the P6 Solar Array was re-located from the Z1 Truss to the end of the port side of the Integrated Truss Structure. During the re-deploy of the array, the array panels snagged and were damaged. An unplanned spacewalk was successfully performed to repair the array. The mission was accomplished in 238 orbits, traveling 6.2 million miles in 15 days, 2 hours, and 23 minutes.
(NASA web-site / November 2007)
