Astronaut, author, professional football player, and STEM educator Leland Melvin was born #OTD in 1964.

[broadfork@mastodon.green]

@mcnees I’ve not seen this photograph before and it is joyous.

[dianea@lgbtqia.space]

@mcnees

Living the best life:

"In his spare time he enjoys playing the piano, cooking, and walking his two dogs.[21] He is featured in several National Geographic Space documentaries and videos,[22] including a 2010 episode of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.[23] In 2021, he featured in Season 2 of the Netflix television series Dogs, climbing Columbia Point with his Rhodesian Ridgebacks Roux and Zorro.[24]"

Leland D. Melvin - Wikipedia

(en.wikipedia.org)

[mike805@noc.social]

@mcnees Those are happy dogs. I want to see them floating around in the ISS.

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@mike805 @mcnees

strictly scientific of course

"Effect of Tail Wagging on Weightlessness, and Canine Locomotion in 0G for Thrown Treat Retrieval"

[elmiller0330@disabled.social]

@mcnees He spoke at my college graduation! Unfortunately he didn't bring the puppies.

[mike805@noc.social]

@benroyce @mcnees I'd love to see how a cat and a dog adapted to zero G. I think they had mice or rats in a cage once, no? Did they learn to push off and fly around?

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@mike805 @mcnees

i think cats would freak out, but dogs would love it

however, "the morning walk" would not be any fun

[mike805@noc.social]

@benroyce @mcnees Yes, the potty problem is difficult even for humans in space. Too bad because it would get the whole world watching NASA if you had a pet up there.

[liferstate@mas.to]

@mcnees I've said this before, but my favorite thing about this photo is that the dogs have absolutely no idea what's going on. They're just so happy to be here, you guys!

[nf3xn@mastodon.social]

@mike805 @benroyce @mcnees Never forget dogs got to space before humans.

[runrichrun@mastodon.social]

@mcnees
You may be right about the photo!
#NASA #DogsOfMastodon #DogsOfFedi

[crystal_fish_caves@mstdn.party]

@mcnees
here is the greatest photoshop I have ever done of Leland Melvin on the moon with his dogs.

[lfzz@mastodon.social]

@mcnees you think those dogs are happy now, if they only new he was able to pee sooo high up

[ahimsa_pdx@disabled.social]

@mcnees Great photo! It's the cover for his book, Chasing Space

Leland Melvin

Former NASA Astronaut, Leland Melvin, is the only person drafted into the National Football League, NFL, to have flown in space.

(www.lelandmelvin.com)

#Books #Bookstodon #Memoir #Space

[andoriansoup@mastodon.social]

@mcnees
I love this photo

[_thegeoff@mastodon.social]

@AndorianSoup @mcnees Earthrise, pale blue dot, happy dogs, first footprint, it's tricky to know which is the most fundamental human image.

Except it's the dogs. I have a theory that wolves domesticated us just as much as we domesticated them, hence we behave more like pack animals than apes somtimes.

[andoriansoup@mastodon.social]

@mcnees @_thegeoff
Oh absolutely. Have you looked into the eyes of a hungry Labrador while you're trying to eat dinner? That is intense domestication of humans right there

[_thegeoff@mastodon.social]

@AndorianSoup @mcnees I grew up, from a baby, with a lab/German shepherd cross (we think), it's possible that dog taught me more about interacting with humans than my parents did.

[andoriansoup@mastodon.social]

@mcnees @_thegeoff
Lol same. We had a Saluki/Retriever cross. That dog had more compassion than most humans (and ate everything in sight)

[nullagent@partyon.xyz]

I met Leland Melvin once and he's exactly as chill and nerdy as his picture suggests.

@mcnees