Land: 2.b (Leroy Chiao)

"Even in sand dunes, the intricacies of nature are seemingly boundless.”

Land: 1.b (Leroy Chiao: Harmony Series) is part of the Astra Ultra "Our Beautiful Space" series, celebrating the universal beauty in the inspirational journeys of Astronauts, and the magnificent, awe-inspiring perspective of Space.

Land: 1.b is the second in a series of the Astronaut Chiao Land series of NFTs. This entire series of Astronaut Chiao’s NFTs, aptly titled Harmony, features a series of images that Astronaut Chiao took from Space (or were taken of him) and encourages the viewer to learn more about the featured elements in each stunning photo. These images are being offered for the first time as NFTs and were highlighted in Astronaut Chiao’s critically acclaimed art book, OneOrbit. Additional graphical elements seek to honor Astronaut Chiao’s heritage and family.

This interpretation of a significant moment in space history in 2004, highlights the amazing details in sand dunes.

"To the first-time Astronaut, the desert seems at first monochrome and boring. But upon closer inspection with a telephoto lens, the intricate beauty of mother nature suddenly appears. This shot of the Sahara desert is a perfect example.”

Land: 1.b seeks to provide an artful interpretation of this iconic image and encourage curiosity and dialogue about the subject matter. Carbon offsets will be done to reduce the carbon footprint of the NFT + STEM/STEAM related organizations will benefit from the program.

Buyer to receive a limited edition (1 of 1) print of the image sized 12" x 12", personalized and signed by Astronaut Chiao.

Leroy Chiao, Ph.D. is a former NASA Astronaut and International Space Station Commander. He works in business, consulting, executive coaching and space education. He is a professional international speaker, and a co-founder and the CEO of OneOrbit, providing keynotes and training to companies and schools. Dr. Chiao is a fellow of the Explorers Club, and a member of the International Academy of Astronautics and the Committee of 100.

A veteran of four space missions, Dr. Chiao most recently served as Commander and NASA Science Officer of Expedition 10 aboard the International Space Station. He has logged over 229 days in space – over 36 hours of which were spent in Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA, or spacewalks). In 2009, he served on the White House appointed Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee, and also served on a NASA Advisory Council Committee.

A native English speaker, Dr. Chiao also speaks Mandarin Chinese and Russian. He has flown space missions and worked closely with Russian, Japanese and European Astronauts and their affiliated space agencies. Dr. Chiao is uniquely qualified to speak about the United States, Russian, Japanese, European and Chinese Space Programs. A Space Station Commander and Space Shuttle Mission Specialist, Dr. Chiao was also a certified Co-Pilot of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He is an expert in all facets of U.S. and Russian EVA hardware and operations and is EVA certified in U.S. and Russian spacesuits, tools, and training programs. In September 2006, Chiao became the first American to visit the Astronaut Research and Training Center of China. There, he met the first two national Chinese astronauts, Yang Liwei and Fei Junlong.

Design: La Stella Design Lab + Original Photo/Inspiration: NASA