Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog-Ching Hai Hu, China

Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog-Ching Hai Hu, China: This was one of the first picture that I shot of China. I opened the window and there it was! We were in an attitude that looked out horizontally, instead of straight down at the earth. This perspective allows one to capture a long distance in one shot. In this case, I used a 50mm lens to capture the big picture. The lake is very large and dramatic.

Ching Hai Hu: This was one of the first picture that I shot of China. I opened the window and there it was! We were in an attitude that looked out horizontally, instead of straight down at the earth. This perspective allows one to capture a long distance in one shot. In this case, I used a 50mm lens to capture the big picture. The lake is very large and dramatic.

Also striking, is how clear the air was. Often, this is the case inland, like in this photo. The coastal region is very hard to get a good picture of, frequently it is covered in clouds or smog. In the background are the Chi Lien mountains. China's launch center is just beyond the Chi Lien range.

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.

Information on the crew's activities aboard ISS, future launch dates, as well as Station sighting opportunities from anywhere on the Earth, is available on the Internet at:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/