Letters to Earth: Astronaut Don Pettit
- January 2012
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Here is the list of entries for Letters to Earth: Astronaut Don Pettit based on the selected criteria.
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The World Through a Looking Glass
Jan 27, 2012 04:21:18 PM | Don Pettit
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- Looking through the cupola windows on Space Station, it’s only natural to reflect upon who we are and where we fit into the world below.
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The Eye of Issyk Kul
Jan 25, 2012 04:57:30 PM | Don Pettit
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- Out of numerous Kyrgyz lakes, one in particular stands out—Lake Issyk Kul. When seen from orbit, Issyk Kul appears to be a giant eye, looking at us looking down at it.
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Whisker Cleaning Time
Jan 25, 2012 04:09:32 PM | Don Pettit
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- I have never been able to shave with a safety razor without slicing my face, so I use a rotary electric razor instead. In weightlessness they work just as well, and the whiskers are captured inside the shaving head. But how does one clean out the whiskers in weightlessness?
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The Sweet Smell of Molecules
Jan 24, 2012 10:20:09 AM | Don Pettit
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- A vacuum is a condition that is nearly devoid of molecules, and space is a molecular desert that makes the Empty Quarter of the Saudi Arabian peninsula seem like an oasis in comparison.
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Perpetual Twilight
Jan 20, 2012 10:50:47 AM | Don Pettit
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- Twice a year, near the winter and summer solstices, the orbit of space station nearly parallels the terminator—the fuzzy line separating day from night on the surface below. For a period of about a week, we live in what seems like perpetual twilight, being in neither full daylight nor full night. Our orbit follows the terminator, so that space station is constantly sunlit. From this vantage I can see both day and night simply by swiveling my head from left to right.
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Lost Chopstick
Jan 19, 2012 12:19:10 PM | Don Pettit
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- I like to eat with chopsticks, and I bring a pair on every flight.
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Grand Views of the Grand Canyon
Jan 19, 2012 11:50:48 AM | Don Pettit
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- The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is simply amazing when viewed from an orbital perspective.
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Candid and the Camera
Jan 17, 2012 02:28:09 PM | Don Pettit
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- For my Soyuz launch, I had worn a standard Shuttle diaper with two inserts for extra absorption. (I have found it advantageous to add a little extra in certain places—in weightlessness, urine will creep around under the guise of capillary action and find your long underwear.)
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Gone for the Season
Jan 09, 2012 12:05:00 PM | Don Pettit
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- Being absent for the holidays is collateral damage for an explorer, whatever the location.
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