Well, we spend an awful lot of our time working and doing experiments. It's very busy up on the shuttle.

I have a lot of common sense. I know what needs to be done and how to approach it. I have an ability to work with people on large enterprises.

It was hard to become an astronaut. Not anywhere near as much physical training as people imagine, but a lot of mental training, a lot of learning. You have to learn everything there is to know about the Space Shuttle and everything you are going to be doing, and everything you need to know if something goes wrong, and then once you have learned it all, you have to practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice until everything is second nature, so it's a very, very difficult training, and it takes years.

I've spent my whole life not talking to people, and I don't see why I should start now.

Once you are assigned to a flight, the whole crew is assigned at the same time, and then that crew trains together for a whole year to prepare for that flight.

No, I think most astronauts recognize that the space shuttle program is very high-risk, and are prepared for accidents.

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