Meet the author

Leland Melvin.

Writer · United States · b. 1964

Leland Melvin: a real NASA astronaut whose Space Chasers graphic novels turn genuine spaceflight know-how into fast, authentic adventures about kid astronauts and teamwork.

Leland Melvin (born 1964) is a former NASA astronaut and the real-life inspiration behind his children's fiction. A one-time NFL wide receiver whose sporting career was cut short by injury, he flew two Space Shuttle missions aboard Atlantis and logged more than 565 hours in orbit, later writing the memoir Chasing Space and its young readers' edition. His middle-grade graphic-novel series Space Chasers, created with writer Joe Caramagna and illustrator Alison Acton, channels that first-hand experience into fast, authentic adventure: a crew of kid astronauts train for a real orbiting station, then must save it, and later a Moon mission, with only each other to rely on. Melvin wears his STEM smarts lightly, making these warm, exciting stories about teamwork and belonging for readers 8 to 12.