The Story of the Birds and the Bees - Goodbye to Space
Sept. 15, 2011
This post is about real birds and real bees (sort of). On St. Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2011, I left Houston for Star City, Russia via Frankfurt and Moscow, and the start of my journey to space. As I sat at the airport, I wrote the blog post, "IAH Gate E7: 1st Leg on the Journey to Space"
“As I prepared to leave for final launch preparations, I experienced an interesting phenomenon. Realizing that leaving Houston starts me on a journey that will take me off the planet for six months, I started to take note of things that I will not experience for half a year. Whether it’s a flock of birds against the sunset or early morning mist on the water of Clear Lake, or a million other things that define the beauty of life on our planet, I experienced a profound appreciation for the gift of the beauty of our world. I will miss a great many experiences that I normally take for granted, but I also look forward to the new experiences that define the beauty of life off the planet.”
So here I am about to return to Earth after five and a half months in space. I'm getting excited about again experiencing all those things that define life on Earth. At the same time, however, I’m realizing that I will leave behind all those things that define life in space.
I’ve been told that when Sasha Samokutyaev, Andrey Borisenko and I land later today, we will have spent 164 days in space (162 on the International Space Station), made 2,624 orbits of the Earth, and will have flown 65,340,224 miles (but who’s counting?). After all this time in space, separated from the Earth, I have come to know a new existence up here. An existence that is without many of the sights, sounds, smells and feel of life on Earth, but an existence with its own share of special defining qualities.
Among the things I will miss is the freedom of movement we have here inside the space station. Nothing is out of reach. If I want to go somewhere, I can be there with the push of a finger. If I need to work on something on the floor, I don’t need to bend down - I have the freedom to flip my body around and stand on the ceiling -- turning the floor into the ceiling. If my hands are full and I need to grab something, I can simply let go of what I’m holding, and it will stay right in front of me (for a little while, at least).
Not upside down!
I will also truly miss looking out the windows.
The view from my window in the Space Station Cupola: the west coast of Africa
I will miss looking at our beautiful planet and the grandeur of our universe from this vantage point. I will miss watching meteors streak across our atmosphere below us, the rapid fire paparazzi flashbulbs of lightening storms at night, and flying so close to dancing curtains of auroras that you feel like you could reach out and touch them.
Dancing lights near Tasmania 11:00am GMT September 14, 2011
I will miss gazing from space at places on Earth that have significance to me because of the memories of visits or their beauty. I will also miss seeing those places on the planet where life is being made better through the work of amazing people.
The Horn of Africa 1:45pm GMT September 14, 2011
I will miss watching the Earth transform from day into night and night into day sixteen times a day.
Sunrise from space, August 27, 2011, as we flew along a path between Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I will miss watching thunderstorms casting long shadows across the Earth as the sun starts to set. I will miss watching the Earth change from blue, white and green to pink, red, and then black as the sun sets. I will miss watching the Earth come alive after the sun has set and the cities and towns light up the planet.
The California coast at daybreak April 17, 2011
I will miss seeing the line that separates day from night and contemplating the stark differences in the human experience on either side as it slowly moves across the surface of our Earth.
The man-made border between India and Pakistan, visible from space on August 17, 2011.
I will miss a thousand other things that define life in space and I understand and appreciate that I have been given a special privilege to have these experiences.
Because of this, I also feel a great responsibility to share these experiences, as best I can, with as many people as possible. I have tried very hard over these past months to do just that. I have found that sharing this experience with all of you has made the experience more meaningful and enjoyable. I thank you all for being with me on this journey.
Above all else, what I will miss most about living and working in space is striving to use the orbital perspective to inspire people to make a positive difference and help improve life on Earth. The good news is that I don’t have to be in space (or ever have been in space) to have the orbital perspective. I don’t need to have ever been in space to realize that we have one planet that we are all riding on together through the universe, that we are all interconnected, that we are all family.
I look forward to continuing the efforts of Fragile Oasis after I return to Earth. I look forward to continuing to share this experience with others as best I can. I took tens of thousands of pictures during my time on the International Space Station, and I look forward to continuing sharing those with you after my return to Earth.
Thanks to everyone for being with me on this journey. Let’s continue it together. This my last blog post from space, but in my next post from Earth, I'll tell you what it was like to be human meteor as Sasha, Andrei and I return to Earth in our Soyuz capsule.
I want to wish all the best to everyone on our good Earth,
Ron Garan, Earthling
Other posts by this author
- To Be Continued ...
- One Young World Summit - The Key Is We
- Moonshot
- Why Should We Spend Money on Space Exploration When We Have So Many Problems Here on Earth?
- Guardians of Earth
- Do 1 Thing Day - July 20, 2012
- The Orbital Perspective of Nicholas Kristof
- An Invitation to Participate in the International Space Apps Challenge
- LAUNCHing Ideas for a Waste-less Tomorrow
- We Get to Carry Each Other
Sept. 15, 2011
Heather S.
Looking forward to watching your trip home...have a fun ride aboard the Soyuz!
Sept. 15, 2011
Nico A.
Lovely post!
Is there any way of getting the pictures on this post in high resolution?
Have a safe trip home!
Sept. 15, 2011
Ephy F.
wow! those photos are amazing! I just hope you would take a snapshot of the Philippines.. lol.. have a safe trip home!! ^_^
Sept. 15, 2011
Erich C.
Wonderful! The pics + the subs are pure poetry. It's wonderful to see our little/huge planet like that! Thanks, Ron, great post! Safe landing!
Sept. 15, 2011
beth b.
We'll SOooooo miss your perspective of life in space. Descriptions like: "freedom of movement" + " thunderstorms casting long shadows across the Earth" + " the line that separates day from night" + "rapid fire paparazzi flashbulbs of lightening storms at night" + changing colors "from blue, white and green to pink, red, and then black" and more. You've given us a vivid portrait of life off this planet that most of us will never experience. Thanks. And welcome back to gravity.
Sept. 15, 2011
Stefania L.
You have taken us high in the sky with you during these past six months...
The view of our unique, precious Blue Planet '#fromspace' is moving ...
your passion is compelling and inspiring...Heartfelt thanks!
Looking forward to your meteoric return and new amazing posts '#fromFragileOasis'!
Sept. 15, 2011
Jason M.
Ron, thank you for sharing your amazing experiences and visions from your Expedition aboard our "Parthenon in the Sky". Truly a miraculous place. I wish you a safe journey home. Godspeed!
Sept. 15, 2011
CaseyOmaha G.
I want to thank you for what you have done for this planet. Safe "Fall" home and thanks for chatting with me the morning of the STS-135 Launch. It was a very special moment in my life.
CaseyOmaha
Sept. 15, 2011
Charles G.
I really enjoyed your stories and pictures. Thanks for taking us to space with you. Have a safe journey home and share some more stories after you're back!
Sept. 15, 2011
Njan S.
Thank you for sharing your amazing experience at ISS. You are a hero.
Sept. 15, 2011
ehsan s.
Great words and pictures Ron. On behalf of all those earthlings who looked every morning forward enjoying to see your astonishing orbital pics and read these inspiring posts here, thank you so much and welcome home in advance!
Ehsan
Sept. 15, 2011
Katrin H.
Thank you Ron, for your wonderfull words. I wish you, Sascha and Andrej a save trip home.
Sept. 15, 2011
Sergej K.
Thanks a lot Ron, for posting all this time, I find your words very inspiring. I'm looking forward to your future posts. And have a safe trip home!
Sept. 15, 2011
Andrew V.
Having just watched Soyuz undock and start the descent to earth, I wish you all a smooth ride down to Earth - you'll soon be breathing this precious atmosphere again and I guess that famous Kazakh welcome is only a few hours away!
I'd like to join everyone else who has been reading your posts from Space in saying a big Thank You for sharing so many of your insights and experiences aboard the ISS with us and for opening these big windows on the Orbital Perspective through pictures and words which we've gratefully received from you over the months of expedition 27/28. To have been able to see each new perspective of Earth from orbit has been a true privilege.
Maybe that big gestalt sensory impression of Earth in the cosmos that Andrey talked about is only possible on an EVA, but like you said: a person doesn't have to go into space to gain that Orbital Perspective.
I'm really looking forward to seeing more of the pictures taken aboard the ISS and reading more about your experiences in Space.
Sept. 15, 2011
sweetgazer 1.
Thanks, Ron, for your giddying images, they have given me wings. A safe flight and landing to you, Sasha and Andrey.
Sept. 16, 2011
mark C.
Thank you so much for sharing all this truly amazing I love that photo of the Northern lights above the earth so wonderful to see our amazing planet from the space station. I feel really blessed to be able to see all this.
Sept. 16, 2011
Marco P.
Dear Ron, dear all the crew members like me. i love you all as I love this Planet. I am so happy you are back, and I hope our ISS will keep working. I am really looking forward to see your pictures and to hear more stories deep like this one. It has been a very special and fantastic journey until today. A unique experience. I just discovered that I am crewmember number 876! That is pretty exciting!! best regards from Italy.
Sept. 17, 2011
Peter C.
I'm so happy that you have made it home safely. Thank you so much for this blog and the thoughts and images you have shared from space. The perspective from above could be an invitation to all of us to think about our Fragile Oasis in a more global perspective. From up there the disputes and conflicts down here simply are ridiculous, obstructing working for a better living together. That energy should be devoted to serious and reasonable work for mankind in general.
Sept. 25, 2011
Gisela C.
Hello Peter! Im @giselamj from Venezuela;) glad to see you here too.
hello Ron! I am happy to share here in this interesting blog you have created. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and wonderful pictures.Make us realize that we all live there in the bluge planet without frontiers. We must respect our home our place.. our Earth!
Sept. 27, 2011
Linda L.
What a wonderful parting post Astro Ron. I want to thank you so much for allowing myself and many, many others to experience the orbital perspective with you. Thanks to you my dream of going to space has come as close as it ever can to actually being there. You have involved us on orbit more than any other astronaut has thus far,shhhhh...don't tell Astro Wheels I said that ;P
Sept. 28, 2011
Marie V.
I really liked this article. I think it's really well written and I totally like your style. I've been following you on Twitter during your trip in space and I really thank you for giving us such beautiful and great dreams :)
Sept. 30, 2011
Tjun G.
Inspiring story, amazing pictures. Thanks for sharing with your fellow earthlings!