I think the sense of family and family achievement, plus the discipline which I received there from that one-room school were really very helpful in what I did later on.

I just wanted to be the first one to fly for America, not because I'd end up in the pages of history books.

Unfortunately, the suit is so stiff, I can't do this with two hands, but I'm going to try a little sand-trap shot here.

It's a very sobering feeling to be up in space and realize that one's safety factor was determined by the lowest bidder on a government contract.

I must admit, maybe I am a piece of history after all.

Roger, liftoff, and the clock is started.

I think all of us certainly believed the statistics which said that probably 88% chance of mission success and maybe 96% chance of survival. And we were willing to take those odds.