Famous quotes by Astronauts

"I've had a chance to fly a lot of different airplanes, but it was nothing like the shuttle ride"

"I like adventure"

"I've been lucky enough to fly to space twice"

"It is spectacular. From about five minutes in, when we knew for sure that we were going to have the weather to go, the smile on my face just got bigger and bigger, and I was just beaming through the whole launch. I mean, it is just an amazing ride"

"It is a challenge to have your launch date slip continuously"

"I wanted to further my education, so I went on to get a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and came back and served about ten years in the Canadian Navy as what we call a combat systems engineer"

"I tell students that the opportunities I had were a result of having a good educational background. Education is what allows you to stand out"

"What everyone in the astronaut corps shares in common is not gender or ethnic background, but motivation, perseverance, and desire - the desire to participate in a voyage of discovery"

"Science was something that really caught my attention. It was something I really could sink my teeth into"

"There are just hundreds of people that have inspired and influenced me in a number of different ways. First of all, you can't forget your parents and all they've done to help you to get here"

"It looks like the future's really bright"

"Like most kids growing up, I had a very wide interest. I was interested in everything. I tried to take advantage of everything, from the sciences to music to writing to literature"

"If you want something that's going to provide you with a lot of challenges and a variety of different things to do, then you really can't beat a place like the Air Force. I don't mean this to sound like a recruiting pitch. But it's been a lot of fun"

"When you launch in a rocket, you're not really flying that rocket. You're just sort of hanging on"

"As you look back at your life, there are just a million different things that have happened, just in the right way, to allow you to make your dreams come true. And you know, someone has all that under control"

"I went to the University of Washington as a physics and astronomy major. My other interest, of course, was aviation. I always wanted to be a pilot. And if you're going to fly airplanes, the best place to be is the Air Force"

"Fortunately, I got called down to NASA for an interview. And one thing led to the next, and one day I got that call. I've been here about seven years now and am really enjoying it"

"It's a great view from here. I'm having the time of my life"

"There are many experiments and a great deal of research that can be performed on the station that make a difference in our lives and we are committed to supporting this important vocation"

"Through these ongoing activities and possibly in the future, a Canadian will go live and work on the International Space Station and we will continue to make Canadians proud of our achievements in space"

"The space industry is developing and delivering benefits that tie into our immediate needs and priorities here on Earth-for example, medical and materials research, and satellite communications"

"NASA wanted to assure its ability to examine the spacecraft in orbit for signs of damage"

"In 1983, NASA invited Canada to fly three payload specialists, in part because we had contributed the robotic arm that is used on the shuttle"

"Canada has made a strong commitment as a partner in the International Space Station and, like the other partners, wishes to see the assembly of this unique orbiting laboratory continue"

"I went to military college in Canada and graduated as an officer in the Navy but also as an engineer"

"We have played a critical role in meeting the new safety standards. The Canadian space industry contributed new tools that make the inspection of the space shuttle possible"

"Canada's a huge country, so to be able to unite the country through communication satellite technology or to be able to observe it through remote sensing technology from space is a natural fit for a country like Canada"

"I did grow up with a really big interest in math and science; I liked it"

"I'll be the person using the shuttle robotic arm"

"Our role is to develop techniques that allow us to provide emergency life-saving procedures to injured patients in an extreme, remote environment without the presence of a physician"