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The fact that the great scientist believed in flying machines was the one thing that encouraged us to begin our studies.

From a very early age, I wanted to fly aeroplanes.

Then there was the challenge to keep doing better and better, to fly the best test flight that anybody had ever flown. That led to my being recognized as one of the more experienced test pilots, and that led to the astronaut business.

Having the opportunity to fly the first flight of something like a space shuttle was the ultimate test flight.

So many people I talk to who work in technology, you ask them, 'What got you interested in science?' and those from my generation say, 'The Apollo landings.'

We thought our careers as cosmonauts - we were young then - would end with a flight to Mars. But, you see, life has made some course corrections.

And so, I was not a military test pilot, but as soon as NASA expressed an interest in flying scientists and people who were not military test pilots, that was an epiphany that just came like a stroke of lightning.

Pioneering in space was something I would willingly give my life for.

I always wanted to be an astronaut.

We also had to bring with us some desired scientific equipment over to the station as well as assemble new machines. For that, I had to conduct two space walks.