In the Apollo 13 movie, Astronaut Jack Swiggert admitted, before going into orbit, that he had not yet filed his taxes with the IRS. In the film starring Kevin Bacon, Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris, Mission Control let Swiggert know that the IRS would give him a break since he was out of the country. On November 2nd, the government will come through again, in a different way, when the Space Station's newest American astronaut, Leroy Chiao, casts his ballot in the presidential election from 225 miles above the earth.

NASA is helping to ensure that Chiao gets a secure e-mail connection in order to cast his ballot for George W. Bush, John Kerry or Ralph Nader.

When Bush was Governor of Texas, he signed a bill into law that gives U.S. astronauts, most of whom live around Houston, the right to vote from space.

"Definitely, I'll be exercising my civic right and my civic duty," Chiao said.

Chiao, who is fluent in Mandarin and Russian, arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) over the weekend via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that also carried two cosmonauts, one of whom will spend the next six months with him in orbit.

Chiao was born in Wisconsin but considers Danville, California his home, when he is not on a space mission or flying his Grumman Tiger aircraft or skiing in the High Sierra.

Chiao's first spaceflight occurred in 1994, aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. The crew conducted experiments on materials and life science research. His second mission was aboard STS-72 in 1996. Chiao performed two spacewalks during this mission.

Chiao is replacing, Mike Fincke, who said he, too, will vote but by absentee ballot from Russia.

Fincke will be in Russia on Election Day, recuperating from a six-month Space Station mission that is due to end with a landing in Kazakhstan this weekend.

To learn more about Astronaut Leroy Chiao, go to:

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful and "exercising your right to vote" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King