Then during the mission itself, I used the space shuttle's robot arm to release a satellite into orbit.

For whatever reason, I didn't succumb to the stereotype that science wasn't for girls. I got encouragement from my parents. I never ran into a teacher or a counselor who told me that science was for boys. A lot of my friends did.

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

The thing I'll remember most about the flight is that it was fun. In fact, I'm sure it was the most fun that I'll ever have in my life.

I slept just floating in the middle of the flight deck, the upper deck of the space shuttle.

Eventually private enterprise will be able to send people into orbit, but I suspect initially it's going to have to be with NASA's help. Whether it's going to be a consortium or one entity remains to be seen. I could be wrong. I could be one of the old fogies! Rocket science is tough, and rockets have a way of failing. It happens. A company has to be willing to bear the risk of its rocket failing. It's a very large capital investment.

On a standard space shuttle crew, two of the astronauts have a test pilot background - the commander and the pilot.