In between his jobs as commander of the tenth
expedition to the International Space Station and NASA's ISS science officer
aboard the space outpost, astronaut Leroy Chiao takes a moment to enjoy one of
the more unique advantages of life in low Earth orbit.
With the absence of Earth's steady gravitational
pull, Chiao was able to turn a bit of water into a liquid lens floating inside
the space station. Light is refracted as it passes through the water toward the
camera, causing the distorted view of Chiao's head.
Chiao and ISS Expedition 10 flight engineer Salizhan
Sharipov are at the midpoint of the six-month mission aboard the space station
after boarding the orbital facility in October 2004. They are currently
preparing for the first spacewalk - set for Jan. 26 - of two planned for their
mission before they are scheduled to return to Earth in April 2005.
-- SPACE.com Staff
Credit:
NASA/JSC
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