Floating around the Earth 230 miles up, NASA Astronaut Leroy Chiao is not too far from the polls to stand up and be counted on Election Day.
From the International Space Station, Chiao cast his vote in the Nov. 2, 2004, national election. Chiao is passionate about his civic duty. He hopes his ballot sets an example for others. From space, he has sent a special message to all eligible voters urging them to go to the polls.
“A few years ago, the Texas State Legislature passed a bill allowing astronauts to vote from space,” Chiao said from aboard the Space Station. “Why did they go to so much trouble for just a few people? Because voting is each citizen’s most basic, yet most powerful tool for participating in America’s cherished right to choose its leaders.”
Chiao is only a few days into a six-month mission as commander of the tenth crew of the International Space Station. His Expedition 10 crewmate is Russian Cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov.