Astronauts see Obama inauguration site from space

Taken by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield from the International Space Station, this photo shows the path of the inaugural parade on Jan. 21. / Chris Hadfield @Cmdr_Hadfield

Even astronauts in space are turning their attention to President Barack Obama's inauguration today (Jan. 21), snapping photos of the U.S. capital from high above Earth.

New photos snapped by astronauts on the International Space Station over the weekend show key areas of Washington, D.C., as it appears from 240 miles (386 kilometers) up. Two Americans, Kevin Ford and Tom Marshburn, are living on the station, which Ford is commanding.

"This detailed view shows the Potomac River and its bridges at left, with National Mall at the center, stretching eastward from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument toward the Capitol building, where the inaugural ceremony will be held," NASA officials said in a statement.

NASA had a few different events planned for inaugural weekend. A group of the agency's astronauts and scientists -- including "Mohawk Guy" Bobak Ferdowsi -- will march in the inaugural parade today alongside full-sized models of the Mars Curiosity Rover and the Orion Space Capsule.

The space station is currently home to six astronauts representing the United States, Russia and Canada. In addition to Marshburn and Ford, the crew includes three Russian cosmonauts and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.

Hadfield even got in on the inaugural celebrations with a photo of Washington D.C. on Saturday (Jan. 19).

"You can even follow the parade route," Hadfield wrote in a post on Twitter, where he chronicles his flight as @Cmdr_Hadfield.

Read NASA's full schedule from President Obama's inaugural weekend here.

Follow Miriam Kramer on Twitter @mirikramer or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

Gallery: President Obama and NASA

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[KansasCity-2012]

Astronauts are good patriots too!

It left a favorable impression on me to read this.

[CuriousServant]

Please folks... no need to be ugly... to be petty... Exploring, growing, learning... THIS is what is good about what we do. Be better than this. Lift up your eyes. Care for each other. We would not need laws or social security or health care if we truly cared for each other, so we leave it to our government. "Trickle down went as far as the pockets of yachts salesmen and others who cater to the whims of the wealthy.

It is time to grow up.

It is time to feed the hungry AND explore AND invest AND do what is grand and beautiful and poetic.

It is time to grow up.

[magnumdr]

Whay the heck are we doing with men in space when we can't even feed the people of our Country?. How many other ways do we waste our tax dollars?

[Solarrays247]

By waging two wars almost ten years ago...which are still unpaid for?

[MTPennies]

The space program has given all of us many things, starting with the microwave and is now an international endeavour. Never mind tax dollars how much food do you waste at home? Almost all of us do it - see the links below

http://www.worldvision.ca/Education-and-Justice/advocacy-in-action/Pages/what-a-waste-the-food-we-throw-away.aspx

http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/wasted-food/