Every shuttle mission's been successful.

The president felt that it was important to send an ordinary citizen to experience the excitement of space travel as a representative for all Americans.

It's not the Olympics. It's Concord, New Hampshire, and a homecoming should reflect the community I'm part of.

My job in space will be to observe and write a journal. I am also going to be teaching a class for students on earth about life in space and on the space shuttle and conducting experiments.

If I can get some student interested in science, if I can show members of the general public what's going on up there in the space program, then my job's been done.

Every shuttle mission's been successful.

When I'm 60, maybe, I'll look at my pile of papers and wonder, What really happened that year?