Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog-Greece: I had read about the Rion-Antirion bridge in Greece, which was recently completed. By some definitions, it is the worlds largest suspension bridge. I had first noticed it at night, each of the pylons was glowing blue as we flew over. I managed a photo some time later, using a 180mm lens, but I
wanted to see the details using an 800mm. Finally, the weather, our orbital track and the daylight cycle came together and I was able to get this shot. The detail is striking. One can see the suspension cables on the bridge.

I had read about the Rion-Antirion bridge in Greece, which was recently completed. By some definitions, it is the worlds largest suspension bridge. I had first noticed it at night, each of the pylons was glowing blue as we flew over. I managed a photo some time later, using a 180mm lens, but I wanted to see the details using an 800mm. Finally, the weather, our orbital track and the daylight cycle came together and I was able to get this shot. The detail is striking. One can see the suspension cables on the bridge.

Egypt China Launch Complex Argentina Nepal/China Border Region Chi Lien Mountains South Africa Salamat Basin in Chad Mozambique Corrientes, Argentina Dec. 10, 2004 Blog Malaysia Patagonian Glaciers Bolivia

Click here for AsianConnections' exclusive interview with Leroy while in training at Star City, Russia.

Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog-in the Russian Orlan Suit

Hi Lia,

We will install two experiment packages and associated cabling. One is a European robotics experiment called "Rokviss" and the second is a biological exposure experiment, called "Biorisk."

Big difference between the suits is the operating pressure and the soft goods. Because of these factors, the Russian suit is less flexible and takes more effort to move the joints and fingers. However, their tasks are designed to be less intense than US tasks, so it should be fine.

More after the EVA!

Leroy

Greece Egypt China Launch Complex Argentina Nepal/China Border Region Chi Lien Mountains South Africa Salamat Basin in Chad Mozambique Corrientes, Argentina Dec. 10, 2004 Blog Malaysia Patagonian Glaciers Bolivia

Click here for AsianConnections' exclusive interview with Leroy while in training at Star City, Russia.

Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog-Beijing: I finally shot a decent picture of Beijing. It is surprisingly difficult! There is often dense smog in the Eastern coastal areas of China, and visibility gets even worse with low sun angles. So, everything has to be right for the shot to even be set up correctly. I was also fortunate with this pass, that the weather was clear and there was light snow cover on the ground, enhancing the view of the city. This is a 400mm shot, I wanted to get the whole core of the city inside of the frame.

I finally shot a decent picture of Beijing. It is surprisingly difficult! There is often dense smog in the Eastern coastal areas of China, and visibility gets even worse with low sun angles. So, everything has to be right for the shot to even be set up correctly. I was also fortunate with this pass, that the weather was clear and there was light snow cover on the ground, enhancing the view of the city. This is a 400mm shot, I wanted to get the whole core of the city inside of the frame.

A Walk in Space My Russian Orlan Suit Greece Egypt China Launch Complex Argentina Nepal/China Border Region Chi Lien Mountains South Africa Salamat Basin in Chad Mozambique Corrientes, Argentina Dec. 10, 2004 Blog Malaysia Patagonian Glaciers Bolivia

Click here for AsianConnections' exclusive interview with Leroy while in training at Star City, Russia.