It takes a couple of years just to get the background and knowledge that you need before you can go into detailed training for your mission.

I can't remember a single time [my parents] ever told me not to do something I wanted to do.

Different astronauts sleep in different ways.

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

All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.

NASA has to approve whatever we wear, so there are clothes to choose from, like space shorts - we wear those a lot - and NASA T-shirts.

I did not come to NASA to make history.