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Impressions

Life on the ISS:
• This week I am going to have to mesh the Life on ISS and Cool Places We've Flown Over sections of the weekly report - sort of like throwing peanuts into a sauce to make them stick - I want to throw some of my "views" at you so you can share some of my impressions.

• We really have the most beautiful planet in our solar system. None other can sustain life like we know it. None other has blue water and white clouds covering colorful landmasses filled with thriving, beautiful, living things like human beings. We are lucky, and to quote a great movie, we are a privileged planet. I do hope there are other wonderful planets living and thriving out there, but ours is special because it is ours and ours to take care of. We really can't take that too lightly.

Image at left: The profile of the atmosphere and a setting sun are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA



Image at left: Von Karman cloud vortices near the Aleutian Islands are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. The vortices are created by the wind encountering a barrier such as an island, changing direction and velocity and forming eddies in the wind and cloud pattern on the lee side of the island. The nadir point of the space station when the image was taken was 51.1 degrees north latitude and 178.8 degrees west longitude. Credit: NASA



• We have a lot to protect and take care of!

Image at left: An iceberg in the South Atlantic Ocean is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. This iceberg illustrates the remains of a giant iceberg -- designated A22A that broke off Antarctica in 2002. This is one of the largest icebergs to drift as far north as 50 degrees south latitude, bringing it beneath the daylight path of the station. Crewmembers aboard the orbital complex were able to locate the ice mass and photograph it, despite great cloud masses of winter storms in the Southern Ocean. Credit: NASA

Our iceberg friend, South Atlantic, east of the Falklands

• There are so many places we need to go visit and see responsibly to preserve not only their beauty but the balance that nature has given to us.

Image at left: Rio Jurua in Brazil is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. The center point of this image is about 8 degrees, 33.8 minutes south latitude and 72 degrees, 49.7 minutes west longitude. North is to the bottom of the image. Credit: NASA


Rainforest

Image at left: An evaporation pond near the Colorado River in Utah is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

Southwest, U.S.

Image at left: Grey Glacier is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. The Southern Patagonian ice field of Chile and Argentina hosts several spectacular glaciers -- including Grey Glacier located in the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. This glacier, which has a measured total area of 270 square kilometers and length of 28 kilometers (1996 measurements), begins in the Patagonian Andes Mountains to the west and terminates in three distinct lobes into Grey Lake. Credit: NASA

Glaciers in Patagonia

• We do leave an impact...let's make it a good one.

Working out

• 40 minutes biking
• 4 miles running, 0.2 walking passive
• 25 minutes biking
• 4 miles running, 0.2 walking passive
• 35 minutes biking
• 3 miles running
• 4 miles running, 0.2 passive
• LAST week of the exercise equipment! I am really looking forward to gravity doing its thing and me not having to wear a harness!

Things we did:

• Russian EVA
• Getting the ISS ready for our guests
• Packing to come home!