Leroy Chiao
Encyclopedia
Dr. Leroy Chiao (born August 28, 1960) is an American
engineer
, former NASA
astronaut
, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and engineering consultant. Chiao flew on three shuttle flights, and was the commander of Expedition 10, where he lived on board the International Space Station
from October 13, 2004 to April 24, 2005. He is also a co-author and researcher for the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity
Project.
and raised in Danville
, California
. Chiao graduated from Monte Vista High School
in Danville in 1978. In 1983, he received a Bachelor of Science
in chemical engineering
from the University of California, Berkeley
, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Tau
fraternity. He earned a Master of Science
and then a Doctor of Philosophy
in chemical engineering
from the University of California, Santa Barbara
in 1985 and 1987, respectively.
Chiao’s father (Tsu Tao Chiao) grew up in Shandong
, China; his mother, Dr. Cherry Chiao, was born in Qingdao
, Shandong
and grew up in Suzhou. After World War II, both fled to Taiwan, where they met and married. His parents immigrated to the United States in the 1950s. Chiao's call sign
is "Shandong".
Upon graduation, Chiao worked at Hexcel Corporation in Dublin, California
from 1987 to 1989. He was involved in process, manufacturing and engineering research on advanced aerospace
materials, and worked on a joint NASA-JPL/Hexcel project to develop a practical, optically correct, precision segment reflector made entirely of advanced polymer composite materials for future space telescopes, as well as working on cure modeling and finite element analysis. In January 1989, Chiao joined the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
in Livermore, California
, where he was involved in processing research for fabrication of filament-wound and thick-section aerospace composites. Chiao also developed and demonstrated a mechanistic cure model for graphite fiber
/epoxy
composite material
(see Graphite-reinforced plastic). An instrument-rated pilot, Chiao has logged over 2500 flight hours in a variety of aircraft.
flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); crew equipment, Spacelab
, Spacehab and payloads issues for the Astronaut Office Mission Development Branch; Training and Flight Data File issues; and Extra-vehicular activity
(EVA) issues for the EVA Branch. Chiao also served as Chief of the Astronaut Office EVA Branch.
A veteran of three space flights, Chiao flew as a mission specialist on STS-65
in 1994, STS-72
in 1996 and STS-92
in 2000. Chiao had logged over 36 days and 12.5 hours in space
, including over 26 EVA hours in four space walks, prior to his mission aboard the International Space Station
.
In addition to being fluent in Mandarin, Chiao learned Russian
as part of the International Space Station program. On November 2, 2004, Chiao voted in the 2004 United States presidential election from aboard the International Space Station, making him the first American to vote in a presidential election while in space. McDonald’s presented Chiao with a Big Mac and French Fries at their branch in Star City as one of his first meals since returning to Earth after his ISS assignment. Among the souvenirs he brought into space in his previous space flights were a Chinese flag and a quartz-carved rose from Hong Kong.
Chiao was the inadvertent developer of the procedure to use the IRED (Interim Resistive Exercise Device) to excite the solar arrays of the ISS. During an exercise session of squats on the ISS, Chiao sent a vibration through the space station that caused the solar arrays to ripple - a low amplitude frequency response. When Chiao did this, the response from Mission Control was "knock it off." However, several years later during an ISS assembly flight in December 2006 (STS-116), German astronaut Thomas Reiter of the European Space Agency was told to do 30 seconds of robust exercise on the bungee-bar IRED machine to help retract ISS solar arrays, specifically to relieve tension in a wire system that was preventing the array from folding up like an accordion. An eventual unplanned spacewalk during the same shuttle mission managed to finally retract the array.
Chiao left NASA in December 2005 to pursue employment in the private sector.
STS-65 Columbia
(July 8–July 23, 1994) launched from and returned to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, setting a new flight duration record for the Space Shuttle program at that time. The STS-65 mission flew the second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2). During the 15-day flight the seven-member crew conducted more than 80 experiments focusing on materials and life sciences research in microgravity. The STS-65 mission was accomplished in 236 orbits of the Earth, traveling 6.1 million miles in 353 hours and 55 minutes.
STS-72 Endeavour
(January 11–January 20, 1996) was a nine-day mission during which the crew retrieved the Space Flyer Unit (launched from Japan ten months earlier), and deployed and retrieved the OAST-Flyer. Chiao performed two spacewalks designed to demonstrate tools and hardware, and evaluate techniques to be used in the assembly of the International Space Station. In completing this mission, Chiao logged a total of 214 hours and 41 seconds in space, including just over thirteen EVA hours, and traveled 3.7 million miles in 142 orbits of the Earth.
STS-92 Discovery
(October 11–October 24, 2000) was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida and returned to land at Edwards Air Force Base
, California. During the 13-day flight, the seven member crew attached the Z1 Truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 to the International Space Station using Discovery’s robotic arm and performed four space walks to configure these elements. This expansion of the ISS opened the door for future assembly missions and prepared the station for its first resident crew. Chiao totaled 13 hours and 16 minutes of EVA time in two space walks. The STS-92 mission was accomplished in 202 orbits, traveling 5.3 million miles in 12 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes and 25 seconds.
ISS Expedition 10
(October 9, 2004–April 24, 2005), Chiao was the Commander of Expedition 10 on the International Space Station
.
In early 2006, he joined the Atlanta firm of SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. (SEI) as an affiliate and technical advisor (on a non-exclusive basis). Dr. Chiao assists the firm on space technologies and operating processes for future space exploration concepts and research on the commercialization of space. In July 2006, Chiao accepted a position as the Executive Vice President for Space Operations and a Director of Excalibur Almaz
Limited. He was responsible for operational aspects of spaceflight, including training for both the capsule and space station. The company assembled a team from the Isle of Man, the United States, Russia, the Ukraine, and Continental Europe to begin work towards refurbishing and flying a capsule in space based upon the design of the Almaz capsules.
In March 2006, Chiao began an appointment in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Louisiana State University
as the first Raborn Distinguished Chair Max Faget Professor.
Chiao is also currently serving as the Chairman of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI)
User Panel, which is attached to the Baylor College of Medicine. The NSBRI, funded by NASA, is a consortium of institutions studying the health risks related to long-duration space flight. The Institute’s User Panel is an advisory board composed of former and current astronauts and flight surgeons that ensures NSBRI’s research program is focused on astronaut health and safety. In preparation for lunar and Mars exploration, Chiao and the User Panel will help align NSBRI’s science and technology projects with the needs of astronauts on long missions.
In July 2007, Chiao joined an expedition to visit Devon Island
and conduct 5 days of webcasts and other instructional activities spanning the period of 16–20 July 2007. This activity was sponsored by the Mars Institute and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education
with additional assistance from The Explorers Club and SpaceRef Interactive, Inc. He conducted these webcasts from the Haughton-Mars Project
Research Station and nearby locations to illustrate how NASA and other space agencies are learning to live on the Moon and Mars here on Earth.
Chiao appeared in a episode of MANswers
in 2008 explaining how to neutralize an astronaut in space who has gone berserk. http://www.spike.com/video/how-do-you/3067777
In May 2009 Chiao wrote a few blog articles on Gizmodo.com detailing some of his space experiences.
In May 2009 Chiao was named as a member of the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee
an independent review requested by the Office of Science and Technology Policy
(OSTP) on May 7, 2009.
In a special to CNN written by Chiao on 1 September 2011, he suggested that China
be permitted to join the International Space Station
program to remedy the issue relating to the limited options available for space travel, following the conclusion of the United States space shuttle program, and a failure of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on 24 August 2011.
aircraft, as well as downhill skiing. He speaks Mandarin Chinese and Russian.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, former NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and engineering consultant. Chiao flew on three shuttle flights, and was the commander of Expedition 10, where he lived on board the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
from October 13, 2004 to April 24, 2005. He is also a co-author and researcher for the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity
Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity
The Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity Project is a US Government funded study investigating strategies for applying diagnostic telemedicine to space. The Principal Investigator is Scott Dulchavsky, Chairman of Surgery at the Henry Ford Health System...
Project.
Early life
Chiao was born in Milwaukee, WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and raised in Danville
Danville, California
The Town of Danville is located in the San Ramon Valley in Contra Costa County, California. It is one of the incorporated municipalities in California that uses "town" in its name instead of "city". The population was 42,039 in 2010. Danville is one of the wealthiest suburbs of Oakland and San...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Chiao graduated from Monte Vista High School
Monte Vista High School (Danville, California)
Monte Vista High School is a comprehensive, National Blue Ribbon of the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, as well as a California Distinguished School and fully WASC-accredited 9-12 public school of more than 2000 students. The school is located in the Town of Danville, CA in the San Ramon Valley,...
in Danville in 1978. In 1983, he received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
fraternity. He earned a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
and then a Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
from the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
in 1985 and 1987, respectively.
Chiao’s father (Tsu Tao Chiao) grew up in Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
, China; his mother, Dr. Cherry Chiao, was born in Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
and grew up in Suzhou. After World War II, both fled to Taiwan, where they met and married. His parents immigrated to the United States in the 1950s. Chiao's call sign
Aviator call sign
An aviator call sign or callsign is a nickname given to a military pilot or other flight officer. This call sign is a substitute for the officer's given name, and is used on name tags, planes, and radio conversations....
is "Shandong".
Pre-NASA career
Dublin, California
Dublin is a suburban city of the East Bay region of Alameda County, California, United States. Located along the north side of Interstate 580 at the intersection with Interstate 680, roughly east of Hayward, west of Livermore and north of San Jose, it was named after the city of Dublin in...
from 1987 to 1989. He was involved in process, manufacturing and engineering research on advanced aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
materials, and worked on a joint NASA-JPL/Hexcel project to develop a practical, optically correct, precision segment reflector made entirely of advanced polymer composite materials for future space telescopes, as well as working on cure modeling and finite element analysis. In January 1989, Chiao joined the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , just outside Livermore, California, is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center founded by the University of California in 1952...
in Livermore, California
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
, where he was involved in processing research for fabrication of filament-wound and thick-section aerospace composites. Chiao also developed and demonstrated a mechanistic cure model for graphite fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
/epoxy
Epoxy
Epoxy, also known as polyepoxide, is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener". Epoxy has a wide range of applications, including fiber-reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives....
composite material
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
(see Graphite-reinforced plastic). An instrument-rated pilot, Chiao has logged over 2500 flight hours in a variety of aircraft.
NASA career
Selected by NASA in January 1990, Chiao became an astronaut in July 1991. He is qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. His technical assignments to date include: Space ShuttleSpace Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); crew equipment, Spacelab
Spacelab
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory consisted of multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier and other related hardware housed in the Shuttle's cargo bay...
, Spacehab and payloads issues for the Astronaut Office Mission Development Branch; Training and Flight Data File issues; and Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
(EVA) issues for the EVA Branch. Chiao also served as Chief of the Astronaut Office EVA Branch.
A veteran of three space flights, Chiao flew as a mission specialist on STS-65
STS-65
STS-65 is a Space Shuttle program mission of Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, 8 July 1994. The flight was commanded by Robert D...
in 1994, STS-72
STS-72
STS-72 was a Space Shuttle Endeavour mission to capture and return to Earth a Japanese microgravity research spacecraft known as Space Flyer Unit...
in 1996 and STS-92
STS-92
STS-92 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. STS-92 marked the 100th mission of the Space Shuttle...
in 2000. Chiao had logged over 36 days and 12.5 hours in space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
, including over 26 EVA hours in four space walks, prior to his mission aboard the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
.
In addition to being fluent in Mandarin, Chiao learned Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
as part of the International Space Station program. On November 2, 2004, Chiao voted in the 2004 United States presidential election from aboard the International Space Station, making him the first American to vote in a presidential election while in space. McDonald’s presented Chiao with a Big Mac and French Fries at their branch in Star City as one of his first meals since returning to Earth after his ISS assignment. Among the souvenirs he brought into space in his previous space flights were a Chinese flag and a quartz-carved rose from Hong Kong.
Chiao was the inadvertent developer of the procedure to use the IRED (Interim Resistive Exercise Device) to excite the solar arrays of the ISS. During an exercise session of squats on the ISS, Chiao sent a vibration through the space station that caused the solar arrays to ripple - a low amplitude frequency response. When Chiao did this, the response from Mission Control was "knock it off." However, several years later during an ISS assembly flight in December 2006 (STS-116), German astronaut Thomas Reiter of the European Space Agency was told to do 30 seconds of robust exercise on the bungee-bar IRED machine to help retract ISS solar arrays, specifically to relieve tension in a wire system that was preventing the array from folding up like an accordion. An eventual unplanned spacewalk during the same shuttle mission managed to finally retract the array.
Chiao left NASA in December 2005 to pursue employment in the private sector.
Spaceflight experience
STS-65
STS-65 is a Space Shuttle program mission of Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, 8 July 1994. The flight was commanded by Robert D...
(July 8–July 23, 1994) launched from and returned to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, setting a new flight duration record for the Space Shuttle program at that time. The STS-65 mission flew the second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2). During the 15-day flight the seven-member crew conducted more than 80 experiments focusing on materials and life sciences research in microgravity. The STS-65 mission was accomplished in 236 orbits of the Earth, traveling 6.1 million miles in 353 hours and 55 minutes.
STS-72 Endeavour
STS-72
STS-72 was a Space Shuttle Endeavour mission to capture and return to Earth a Japanese microgravity research spacecraft known as Space Flyer Unit...
(January 11–January 20, 1996) was a nine-day mission during which the crew retrieved the Space Flyer Unit (launched from Japan ten months earlier), and deployed and retrieved the OAST-Flyer. Chiao performed two spacewalks designed to demonstrate tools and hardware, and evaluate techniques to be used in the assembly of the International Space Station. In completing this mission, Chiao logged a total of 214 hours and 41 seconds in space, including just over thirteen EVA hours, and traveled 3.7 million miles in 142 orbits of the Earth.
STS-92 Discovery
STS-92
STS-92 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. STS-92 marked the 100th mission of the Space Shuttle...
(October 11–October 24, 2000) was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida and returned to land at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
, California. During the 13-day flight, the seven member crew attached the Z1 Truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 to the International Space Station using Discovery’s robotic arm and performed four space walks to configure these elements. This expansion of the ISS opened the door for future assembly missions and prepared the station for its first resident crew. Chiao totaled 13 hours and 16 minutes of EVA time in two space walks. The STS-92 mission was accomplished in 202 orbits, traveling 5.3 million miles in 12 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes and 25 seconds.
ISS Expedition 10
Expedition 10
Expedition 10 was the 10th expedition to the International Space Station, using the Soyuz TMA-5, which stayed during the expedition for emergency evacuation.-Crew:-Mission parameters:*Perigee: 384 km...
(October 9, 2004–April 24, 2005), Chiao was the Commander of Expedition 10 on the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
.
Post-NASA career
After leaving NASA, Chiao has become involved in entrepreneurial business ventures in both the U.S. and China.In early 2006, he joined the Atlanta firm of SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. (SEI) as an affiliate and technical advisor (on a non-exclusive basis). Dr. Chiao assists the firm on space technologies and operating processes for future space exploration concepts and research on the commercialization of space. In July 2006, Chiao accepted a position as the Executive Vice President for Space Operations and a Director of Excalibur Almaz
Excalibur Almaz
Excalibur Almaz is a private spaceflight company which plans to provide orbital space tourism, and provide test beds for experiments in a microgravity environment., Excalibur hoped to begin flights by 2012 with revenue flights starting as early as 2013....
Limited. He was responsible for operational aspects of spaceflight, including training for both the capsule and space station. The company assembled a team from the Isle of Man, the United States, Russia, the Ukraine, and Continental Europe to begin work towards refurbishing and flying a capsule in space based upon the design of the Almaz capsules.
In March 2006, Chiao began an appointment in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
as the first Raborn Distinguished Chair Max Faget Professor.
Chiao is also currently serving as the Chairman of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI)
National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI)
The National Space Biomedical Research Institute is a NASA-funded consortium of institutions studying the health risks related to long-duration spaceflight and developing solutions to reduce those risks. Currently, NSBRI has seven teams conducting research at more than 60 institutions around the...
User Panel, which is attached to the Baylor College of Medicine. The NSBRI, funded by NASA, is a consortium of institutions studying the health risks related to long-duration space flight. The Institute’s User Panel is an advisory board composed of former and current astronauts and flight surgeons that ensures NSBRI’s research program is focused on astronaut health and safety. In preparation for lunar and Mars exploration, Chiao and the User Panel will help align NSBRI’s science and technology projects with the needs of astronauts on long missions.
In July 2007, Chiao joined an expedition to visit Devon Island
Devon Island
Devon Island , claimed to be the largest uninhabited island on Earth, is located in Baffin Bay, Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is one of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the second-largest of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, Canada's sixth largest island, and the 27th...
and conduct 5 days of webcasts and other instructional activities spanning the period of 16–20 July 2007. This activity was sponsored by the Mars Institute and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education
Challenger Center for Space Science Education
' is a nonprofit educational organization with its headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, and an international network of Challenger Learning Centers. The organization was founded in April 1986 by the families of the astronauts who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28,...
with additional assistance from The Explorers Club and SpaceRef Interactive, Inc. He conducted these webcasts from the Haughton-Mars Project
Haughton-Mars Project
The Haughton–Mars Project is an international interdisciplinary field research project being carried out near the Haughton impact crater on Canada's northern Devon Island. human-centered computing studies are aimed at determining how human explorers might live and work on other planetary...
Research Station and nearby locations to illustrate how NASA and other space agencies are learning to live on the Moon and Mars here on Earth.
Chiao appeared in a episode of MANswers
MANswers
MANswers is a late night comedy series that premiered on Spike on September 19, 2007.The series is produced by reality television production company, SuperDelicious, and airs on Spike. The executive producers are Kyle Danielson the Third, Adam Cohen, Cara Tapper, Joanna Vernetti, Akifumi Takuma and...
in 2008 explaining how to neutralize an astronaut in space who has gone berserk. http://www.spike.com/video/how-do-you/3067777
In May 2009 Chiao wrote a few blog articles on Gizmodo.com detailing some of his space experiences.
In May 2009 Chiao was named as a member of the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee
Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee
The Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee was a group reviewing the human spaceflight plans of the United States...
an independent review requested by the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Office of Science and Technology Policy
The Office of Science and Technology Policy is an office in the Executive Office of the President , established by Congress on May 11, 1976, with a broad mandate to advise the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs.The director of this office is...
(OSTP) on May 7, 2009.
In a special to CNN written by Chiao on 1 September 2011, he suggested that China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
be permitted to join the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
program to remedy the issue relating to the limited options available for space travel, following the conclusion of the United States space shuttle program, and a failure of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on 24 August 2011.
Personal life
Chiao married Karen Chiao in 2003. He enjoys flying his Grumman TigerGrumman American AA-5
The US Grumman American AA-5 series is a family of all-metal, 4-seat, light aircraft used for touring and training. The line includes the original American Aviation AA-5 Traveler, the Grumman American AA-5 Traveler, AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B Tiger, the Gulfstream American AA-5A Cheetah, and AA-5B...
aircraft, as well as downhill skiing. He speaks Mandarin Chinese and Russian.
Awards and honors
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal (2004).
- Recipient of four NASA Space Flight MedalNASA Space Flight MedalThe NASA Space Flight Medal is a decoration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. According to its statutes, it is awarded "for significant achievement or service during individual participation as a civilian or military astronaut, pilot, mission specialist, payload specialist, or...
s (2004, 2000, 1996, 1994). - Four NASA Individual Achievement Awards (2004, 2003, 2002, 2001).
- NASA Going the Extra Mile Award (2004).
- Recipient of the 2003 Excellence Award in Science and Technology, from the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce.
- Recipient of the 100 Most Influential Asian Americans in the 1990¹s Award from A-Magazine (2000).
- Two NASA Exceptional Service Awards (2000, 1996).
- Keynote Commencement Speaker for the Departments of Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, and at Santa Barbara, in 1996.
- Two NASA Group Achievement Awards (1997, 1995).
- Recipient of Distinguished Alumni Award from University of California, Santa Barbara (1995).
- Recipient of numerous Federation Aeronautique Internationale awards, including the Korolev Diploma (2002), Komarov Diploma (1996) and De La Vaulx Medal (1994).
- Recipient of two Phi Kappa TauPhi Kappa TauPhi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
awards - the Taylor A. Borradaile National Alumnus of the Year Award (1996) and the Nu Chapter Alumnus of the Year (1991) award. - Listed in Who's Who in Science and Engineering (1990).
- Invited contributor to the International Encyclopedia of Composite Materials (1989).
- Invited to give technical seminars on honeycombHoneycombA honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal waxcells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey...
material and bonded panels, as well as cure modeling of aerospace composite materials, at the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, and at the Changsha Institute of Technology, 5th Department, in the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
External links
- Chiao's Website
- Chiao's Blog
- Expedition 10 Earth Observation Photos from Dr. Leroy Chiao
- Spacefacts biography of Leroy Chiao