September 17, 1961 – Astronaut Pam Melroy is born
U.S. Space Shuttle commander Pam Melroy was born September 17, 1961 in
Astronaut Pamela A. Melroy, was commander of the STS-120 Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
Melroy, who is just 46, is only one of twenty-five women who are active astronauts, and she is only one of two female Commanders in the program. There are a total of eleven Commanders in all, and just 92 active qualified astronauts. Melroy is indeed in elite company.
She retired from the Air Force in February 2007 having started her military career interest in ROTC. Melroy is a veteran of Operation Just Cause (Panama, 1989) and Operation Desert Shield/Storm (1990). She has logged over 5,000 flight hours in over 45 different aircraft.
Melroy was one of just 15 astronauts that were graduates of the class of 1995. Of the eleven present astronauts qualified as Commander, only two have been astronauts longer than her. STS-120 Shuttle Mission to the ISS is her first space flight as Commander. Melroy’s first space experience was in 2000 aboard STS-92 Discovery (Oct 11-24).
Young girls and women today are very fortunate to have models like astronaut Pamela Melroy and twenty-four other woman who have aimed high, and have seen their success in space science reach the heavens!
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I hope Pamela Melroy stays with the NASA Space Program long enough to command a descent and walk on the Moon. That would be great!
As a previous co-worker of Col Melroy I can say she had a lot of moxie