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Retired NASA astronaut to share story at Virginia Museum of History & Culture

leland melvin astronaut nasa chasing space
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Join the Virginia Museum of History & Culture for an afternoon with Virginia astronaut Leland Melvin, who will share the inspirational story of grit, grace and second chances that led him to space.

The event will be held on Saturday, April 15, from 3-4 p.m. Tickets are required for the event.

A Lynchburg native, graduate of the University of Richmond, and the only person in history to catch a pass in the National Football League and in space, Leland will discuss his personal journey through the pages of the book Chasing Space.

Tickets include day-of-program access to the VMHC to experience the museum’s newest exhibition, Apollo: When We Went to the Moon. This interactive exhibition, which will be on display through Dec. 31, chronicles how space exploration that began as an extension of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union ultimately led to international cooperation both on and off Earth.

Visitors can touch a piece of the Moon, be transported to the Apollo 11 launch pad as part of an immersive audiovisual experience; leave their “footprints” behind as they walk across a virtual lunar surface; and climb aboard a full-scale Apollo 17 lunar rover model to experience how astronauts got around on the moon.

The museum is located at 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., in Richmond.

For more information, visit VirginiaHistory.org/ChasingSpace

 

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.