If they asked me if I wanted to go into space tomorrow, I'd do it in a heartbeat. On the other hand, if they asked me if I wanted to go into training for three years and then go into space again, I'd probably say no.

On a standard space shuttle crew, two of the astronauts have a test pilot background - the commander and the pilot.

The food isn't too bad. It's very different from the food that the astronauts ate in the very early days of the space program.

Astronauts will remain the explorers, the pioneers-the first to go back to moon and on to Mars. But I think it's really important to make space space available to as many people as we can. It's going to be a while before we can launch people for less than $20 million a ticket. But that day is coming.

Weightless is a great equalizer.

When the space shuttle's engines cut off, and you're finally in space, in orbit, weightless... I remember unstrapping from my seat, floating over to the window, and that's when I got my first view of Earth. Just a spectacular view, and a chance to see our planet as a planet.

The experience of being in space didn't change my perspective of myself or of the planet or of life. I had no spiritual experience.