I had done everything I could do as an astronaut, and we have a long line of inexperienced astronauts waiting for their first missions, and so my role really should be to step aside and help them prepare for their missions, rather than to try to get another mission.

Pre-NASA career

Upon graduation Chiao worked at Hexcel Corporation in Dublin California from 1987 to 1989. Two NASA Group Achievement Awards (1997 1995). Recipient of the 100 Most Influential Asian Americans in the 1990¹s Award from A-Magazine (2000).

Leroy Chiao (born August 28 1960) is an American engineer former NASA astronaut entrepreneur motivational speaker and engineering consultant. Chiao flew on three shuttle flights and was the commander of Expedition 10 where he lived on board the International Space Station from October 13 2004 to April 24 2005. He is also a co-author and researcher for the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity Project.