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

I was always very interested in science, and I knew that for me, science was a better long-term career than tennis.

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.

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.

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.

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

I liked math - that was my favorite subject - and I was very interested in astronomy and in physical science.