Space Travel – From Fantasy To Reality

Dr. Leroy Chiao, former NASA Astronaut and International Space Commander, is one of the lucky few to have travelled to a destination most of us only dream of going: Outer space. He tells us what life is really like out among the stars.

- Dr. Leroy Chiao

With an impressive 5,500 hours logged in space and six space walks that total 36 hours, you could say that American astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao is the best person to tell us about space exploration. By living out a childhood fantasy that most of us have, Dr. Chiao is someone worth looking up to – not just because he’s a part of the NASA Advisory Council or served on the White House-appointed Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee, but also the fact that he is using his expertise and knowhow to inspire the next generation of astronauts to fully live their lives and chase their dreams.

Many children dream of becoming an astronaut and you are the embodiment of that dream. Was it as amazing as you thought it would be?

I first wanted to become an astronaut when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. I was 8 years old then and I wanted to be like the two astronauts on the Moon. I could think of nothing more exciting than flying in space. I was single when I was selected, and for most of my NASA career. I can still remember it clearly: It was early in the morning in California and the Chairman called me and woke me up. It was a life changing phone call and I was elated, of course!

Being an astronaut is, as you can imagine, wonderful and fantastic. When you’re up there, the Earth is much more beautiful than I imagined and it exceeded my expectations.

What was your first time in space like? Did you feel the same sense of excitement on the following trips?

Of course I went through all of the training, but I would say nothing really prepares you for your first experience in space. I looked back at the Earth and was taken aback by the brightness of the colors, especially the bright blues from the sunlight passing through the atmosphere! Subsequent trips are also exciting, but there’s nothing like the first time.