I've discovered that half the people would love to go into space and there's no need to explain it to them. The other half can't understand and I couldn't explain it to them. If someone doesn't know why, I can't explain it.

Some astronauts sleep in sort of beds - compartments that you can open up and crawl into and then close up, almost like a little bedroom.

You can picture pretty easily if there were a paying passenger aboard a rocket that failed, like Challenger failed. Certainly it would be a tragedy, and a tragedy for the company. They would have a hard time recovering from it.

One thing I probably share with everyone else in the astronaut office is composure.

I liked math - that was my favorite subject - and I was very interested in astronomy and in physical science.

I have a lot of common sense. I know what needs to be done and how to approach it. I have an ability to work with people on large enterprises.

When you're getting ready to launch into space, you're sitting on a big explosion waiting to happen.