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Julie Payette's Journal

International Space Station – Flight Day 7 –
Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Hello friends,

It’s already the seventh flight day and I finally have two minutes to write a few words. Much has happened since the launch on July 15th. The rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station went very well, and we were excited at the thought of entering the Station at last and finding our six colleagues. The Station is huge compared to the Shuttle and I still haven’t had the chance to really explore it. I have promised myself to visit the two Soyuz capsules, docked on the Russian side of the Station. Surprisingly, there aren’t many windows around, but when I do come across one, I get to see an unobstructed view of the Earth directly beneath me.

On the evening of my arrival on the Station, my colleague, Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk, and I went to the Russian Service Module, where can be found the best observation windows, so we could watch Canada unfold beneath us. It was a fantastic “pass”. It was 10:45 p.m. EDT and we crossed the country in under 9 minutes! First there was Victoria, followed by Vancouver, the Rockies and Calgary - all clearly visible by the gentle light that glows at the end of the day. Then we saw the Prairies in the half-light. By the time we arrived over Northern Ontario, it was night. But we in the Station orbiting 350 km above were still lit by the setting sun so it was difficult to distinguish much on the ground. A few minutes later, once the sun had set for us as well (in orbit the sun sets or rises much faster than on Earth), I could make out cities and details: Ottawa, Montreal, highway 15, St. Jerome, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Boston, and the coast of Maine all the way up to Nova Scotia. Such beauty! Had I known, I would’ve sent you all a message urging you to step outside and watch us go by. We must’ve been, by far, the brightest star in the sky (and the only one moving!)

On board, all is well. After a few days of adapting to weightlessness, my colleagues and I are in great shape. The astronauts on the Station are very welcoming and helpful. Our first days were very busy and we barely had time to stop and eat. We have already accomplished many of our main objectives, two of the five spacewalks on the program, and I have already been at the command of each of the three robotic arms more than once. Still, there’s much left to do.

I have found a small quiet and private spot on the Station to sleep. It’s in a small logistics module attached to the big Japanese laboratory. This module is used for storage and it’s where we store our spacesuits. This is where I’ve put up my sleeping bag and, as there are no windows, when I turn off the lights I am undisturbed by the constant cycle of the sun rising and setting (the sun rises and sets every 45 minutes in orbit!). Interesting fact: this module is called JLP (Japanese Logistics Pressurized element) which is perfect for someone named JuLie Payette!

Best wishes from space,

Julie