Astronaut Leroy Chiao just flew home from ISS and boy are his arms tired...

Images: Chiao portrait; Thumb's up!; Dressed for success; ISS photo archive
Info: Chiao bio

NASA Astronaut Leroy Chiao recently returned from a long duration stay at the International Space Station with Italian Roberto Vittori and Russian Cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov. (Vittori had only spent about a week at ISS; Chiao and Sharipov were there for six-and-a-half-months.)

Chiao is a native of Wisconsin, but grew up in California and calls Danville, CA, his hometown. Chiao, who served on three previous shuttle missions, has now logged more than eight months in Space and hopes to eventually return.
But not before spending some quality time on Mother Earth. According to a story at CBSnews.com:

"We're pretty excited to come home," Chiao told CBS News Space Consultant Bill Harwood last week. "It's a fantastic mission, six-and-a-half months, it's the first long-duration mission for both of us. For me personally, it's been wonderful but I am anxious to get back and see my wife and family and friends and to be in nature again."


You can read all about Chiao's adventures on ISS at his Blog.
I may be biased (my daughter is Asian) but I am proud to see an Asian-American earning such a prominent place in NASA's astronaut corps. Here's to his further success in the future, but only after he gets some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

If you're interested in tracking the progress of other great Asian Americans, start by checking out Chiao's bio at AsianAmericans.net

Then click your way to knowledge...