TWEET: This is how retired astronaut Leland Melvin posed for his official NASA photo.

[dixiechiken1]

Link to tweet

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[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. Love it!!!

[Skittles]

2. OMG I love that guy

[wendyb-NC]

3. That's so cool

Enjoy your retirement, looks like you have 2 good friends to help you.

[Celerity]

33. He retired in 2014, the pic is from 2009, and unfortunately both the dogs died years ago

https://www.complex.com/life/2017/02/story-behind-nasa-astronaut-leland-melvins-dogs-picture

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/melvin_leland.pdf

[MuseRider]

4. I DID need this!

Thank you. Nothing much could be better than this.

[Funtatlaguy]

5. Dog people rock!

[Baked Potato]

6. I am proud of him! Beautiful photo!

[Martin Eden]

7. Made me think of Laika

Last edited Thu Mar 10, 2022, 07:36 AM - Edit history (1)

-- the dog that was sent into space before any human.

[lastlib]

31. Always wanted to have a dog I could name Laika!

Love the pooches in his photo! He's gotta be totally a dog person!

[marieo1]

8. A Hero

From Minnesota...........I LOVE IT...........We love our girls, too!! I especially love your smile to be greeted so royally!!

[Bettie]

9. I LOVE the manic look on the

dog on the right's face. He's waiting his turn to give kisses, but he's impatient about it!

[rurallib]

10. He picked up some aliens from outer space

who will work their magic on him and successfully worm their way into our society?

[NBachers]

11. Imagine the hero dog-welcome he got when he returned from a journey to Outer Space!

[TeamProg]

12. That is too sweet.

[luvs2sing]

13. Leland is one of the coolest guys in the world.

I follow him on social media, and he is always delightful. And he really loves his dogs.

[niyad]

14. awwwwww

[BidenRocks]

22. I knew someone would say it!

Awww!

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. It makes me thing of Carpenter's "The Thing" in which space creature "Thing" was a dog

when first encountered by the American science station... (the "dog" having come from the Norwegian science station).

[NJCher]

16. I just have one question

What would cats do for that photograph?

[BidenRocks]

24. Broadway? nt

[PatrickforB]

17. You can tell he's a good guy.

The dogs think so, for sure.

[Cozmo]

18. Beautiful!

[mollie8]

19. So cool!

Don't know who's handsomer, Melvin or his dogs. They're all quite fetching!

[Karadeniz]

20. Perfect!!!!

[rsdsharp]

21. I don't want to be around when he tells them they can't come with.

[calimary]

23. Awwwwww... LOVE this photo!

Animal lovers everywhere will swoon (as they should)!

[MustLoveBeagles]

25. That's so cute

[Demovictory9]

26. 😍

[Schmice3]

27. Good man

[NCjack]

29. Dogs know!

[ailsagirl]

28. What a *wonderful* photo!!!

❤️😎👍

[bluboid]

30. that is sooo great - LOVE always wins!

[screamcheese]

32. The True Story of Laika

Sad but true . . .

[Dorian Gray]

34. We need more of this energy in our best and brightest

From just looking at this picture.... I love this guy.

[PittBlue]

35. How beautiful!

This needs to be NASA's logo!

[JudyM]

36. Game of Thrones images in my mind

Even though this is a great pic. Sorry.

[Duppers]

37. Leland worked in my hubby's branch

for awhile at NASA LaRC after retiring from the astronaut program. In fact, we had lunch together at Daryls one day. He's now retired and lives across the state near Roanoke.

Both his sweet pups are dead now.

I posted this pic before but am glad he's getting recognition. He's such a nice person. And yes, he's a Dem, of course.

🚀