It takes a few years to prepare for a space mission.

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

The view of earth is absolutely spectacular, and the feeling of looking back and seeing your planet as a planet is just an amazing feeling. It's a totally different perspective, and it makes you appreciate, actually, how fragile our existence is.

I think maybe it's too bad that our society isn't further along and this is such a big deal. I think it's time...that people realize that women in this country can do any job they want to do.

I think 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.

For a long time, society put obstacles in the way of women who wanted to enter the sciences.

It's too bad our society isn't further along.