History gets reinterpreted as time goes on. Many times, the participants are lost in the retelling of the story.

Space is not just going up and coming back down again. Space is getting into orbit and being there, living there, establishing a presence, a permanence.

I think both the space shuttle program and the International Space Station program have not really lived up to their expectations.

Astronauts are not superhuman. They lead ordinary lives and have varied personalities.

There should be an international lunar base. That is certainly doable.

Everyone who's been in space would, I'm sure, welcome the opportunity for a return to the exhilarating experiences there. For me, a flight in a shuttle, though most satisfying, would be anticlimactic after my flight to the moon. Plus, if I pursued a flight myself, people would think that was the reason I am trying to generate interest in public spaceflight. And that's not the purpose - I want to generate interest in long-range space exploration.

America must dream again, and have the faith to achieve the dream.