Rocket science is tough, and rockets have a way of failing.

Even though NASA tries to simulate launch, and we practice in simulators, it's not the same - it's not even close to the same.

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.

But when I wasn't working, I was usually at a window looking down at Earth.

We need to make science cool again.

Suppose you came across a woman lying on the street with an elephant sitting on her chest. You notice she is short of breath. Shortness of breath can be a symptom of heart problems. In her case, the much more likely cause is the elephant on her chest. For a long time, society put obstacles in the way of women who wanted to enter the sciences. That is the elephant. Until the playing field has veen leveled and lingering stereotypes are gone, you can't even ask the question.

We can see cities during the day and at night, and we can watch rivers dump sediment into the ocean, and see hurricanes form.