Leroy Chiao
One of my challenges was to try to photograph the Great Wall of China. And I did actually take some photos, but it was hard to discern the wall with the naked eye.
Leroy ChiaoMy parents always tried to teach us the best of both, the Chinese ethic of hard work and education and the American ethic of innovation of aspiration.
Leroy ChiaoThe most interesting thing was looking out the window and taking photographs of different places on Earth.
Leroy ChiaoWell, it's still a bit uncertain, but I will do the consulting, and I'll see how I can contribute. But I'm sure whatever I do will involve the space program. That's where my passion is.
Leroy ChiaoBut a lot of that kind of work is done pre-flight, coordinating efforts with the flight directors and the ground teams, and figuring out how you're going to operate together.
Leroy ChiaoOur task was doing maintenance and repairs to keep the station in a good state for the return of the shuttle flights and resumption of major ISS construction.
Leroy ChiaoBut it's also a lot of hard work, and it's a long time to be away from your family and friends. So I had a lot of different feelings.
Leroy ChiaoComing down under a parachute is quite different as well. You hit the ground pretty hard, but all the systems work very well to keep it from hurting, so it doesn't even hurt when you hit. It was a great experience to be able to do both.
Leroy ChiaoI would say keep supporting space flight, keep telling the public and the politicians why it's important to advance science and explore the galaxy. I encourage the Japanese to keep doing what they're doing.
Leroy ChiaoOf course, you'll have to meet the physical and psychological demands. A space walk takes a lot of energy.
Leroy ChiaoAs commander I was responsible for the overall success of the mission, and so I had to know at least a little bit about everything.
Leroy Chiao