Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It's posing questions and coming up with a method. It's delving in.

But even in elementary school and junior high, I was very interested in space and in the space program.

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

My background is in physics, so I was the mission specialist, who is sort of like the flight engineer on an airplane.

Our future lies with today's kids and tomorrow's space exploration.

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

I never went into physics or the astronaut corps to become a role model. But after my first flight, it became clear to me that I was one. And I began to understand the importance of that to people. Young girls need to see role models in whatever careers they may choose, just so they can picture themselves doing those jobs someday. You can't be what you can't see.