Reviewed by: Michael Seale
This Alabama astronaut is the only person to dunk a basketball in space—meet Larry DeLucas
Reading time: 5 minutes
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It’s not everyday you get to meet an astronaut who dunked a basketball in space. From growing crystals for pharmaceutical companies to falling asleep in a laundry closet on a rocket, Larry DeLucas has some incredible stories from his trip to space aboard the Shuttle.
We recently got to chat with him at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Meet an Astronaut series. Read on for all the details.
Five degrees from UAB
Originally born in Syracuse, New York, DeLucas has spent most of his life in Birmingham. After graduating from high school, he moved to the South to attend The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to major in but knew he liked chemistry in high school, so he figured he’d start there. After finishing his undergrad, he decided to get a master’s in Chemistry, beginning a path that eventually led to five degrees over the course of twelve years.
He ended up finishing his academic career by earning a PhD in protein crystallography, while also getting an optometry degree. Ironically, he had no intention of going into optometry.
Instead, he ended up using the degree combo in his research about vision using crystallography—the study of crystals and the structure of the atoms within them.
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Becoming an astronaut
If you had told high school Larry that he’d end up becoming a scientist and an astronaut, he would’ve laughed at you.
“I had always been interested in space. When we were young, my brother and were always counting down the days to the next Star Trek movie and television series.
But I never had the confidence that I could even be a scientist much less an astronaut. I had hoped to be a professional basketball player but thought realistically I’d be a coach. I thought I could be the best coach in the world—but never a scientist.”
Larry DeLucas
DeLucas’s interest in space turned into a reality when Senator Howell Helfin organized a conference to bring together the UAB scientists and the engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center.
“At the conference, a guy at Marshall held up a bag of salt crystal as big as my first, but it looked like a diamond. He said he grew it in space and described why crystals grow better in space.
That gave me the idea of designing an experiment.”
Larry DeLucas
Three months later, DeLucas’s experiment launched, and the experience of seeing the rocket take off is something he’ll never forget. It brought tears to his eyes. At that moment, he felt called to be an astronaut.
After seven years of applying, DeLucas was finally selected as a payload specialist for the space shuttle Columbia—which flew from June 25-July 9 1992.
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Dunking basketballs, growing crystals + more in space
DeLucas’s flight to space was a unique milestone—it was one of the first missions dedicated to experiments that could provide commercial value. While in space, DeLucas conducted research for around 15 pharmaceutical companies to understand how to grow better crystals.
He also got into a handful of shenanigans, such as:
- Talking to his Dad on the radio for 15 seconds when the shuttle flew over Alabama and finding himself at a loss for words, only saying, “Hi Dad, it’s me Larry and I’m in space!”
- Falling asleep from pure exhaustion in the middle of the day and getting blown by a fan into a laundry closet on the Space Shuttle and disappearing for three hours
- Famously dunking a basketball in space—with a hang time not even Michael Jordan could compete with
Overall, DeLucas’s biggest takeaway was the teamwork that it takes to accomplish a mission in space.
“In space, you’re constantly aware of the fact that you’re on a team. Everyone is cross-trained, and even the people on the ground know everything and are always ready to help.”
Larry DeLucas
After being the Chief Scientist for the International Space Station and on the UAB faculty, DeLucas now works as the Senior Vice President for a pharmaceutical company and runs a children’s STEM program for Aerospace Corporation.
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Check out the Meet an Astronaut series
If you want to hear fascinating stories like DeLucas’s while increasing your knowledge of space, we have good news for you!
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center hosts a weekly Meet the Astronaut series every Thursday, now through the end of August. The event takes place in the Main Atrium (Dare to Explore Exhibit) of the Museum from noon to 1PM every Thursday throughout the summer. Guests can chat with an astronaut and get their autograph.
Here’s the lineup:
- July 11: Woody Spring
- July 18: Mike Foreman
- July 25: Larry Delucas
- August 1: Mike Foreman
- August 8: Ken Cameron
- August 15: Don Thomas
- Augusts 22: Chris Sembroski
- August 29: Larry Delucas
DeLucas also encourages visitors to take tours of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and check out Space Camp.
“It’s incredible to walk through the museum and see all the accomplishments from a technology standpoint. There’s something so compelling about space.
Before I went to space, I’d give science lectures, and no one would listen. Now, you put me in the largest gym in the world, and you could hear a pin drop.
Space is such a great way to get us excited about engineering and science.”
Larry DeLucas
Want to meet DeLucas and others? Check out the U.S Space & Rocket Center’s Meet an Astronaut series.
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