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
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