So I Decided On Science

The Fact That I Was Going To Be The First American Woman To Go Into Space Carried Huge Expectations Along With It.

Anything From Making A Mistake On An Experiment That Would Ruin Some Scientist On Earth's Experiment - Career, Potentially - To Doing Something Wrong With The Satellite That A Country Was Depending On For Its Communications, To Making Some Mistake That Could Actually Cost You And The Crew Either A Mission Or Your Lives. So There Is A Lot Of Pressure That's Put On Every Astronaut To Just Make Sure That He Or She Understands Exactly What To Do, Exactly When To Do It, And Is Trained And Prepared To Carry It Out.

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 Maybe It's Too Bad That Our Society Isn't Further Along And This Is Such A Big Deal. I Think It's Time...that People Realize That Women In This Country Can Do Any Job They Want To Do.

One Thing I Probably Share With Everyone Else In The Astronaut Office Is Composure.