I feel very privileged. But what I really hope for young people is that they find a career they’re passionate about, something that’s challenging and worthwhile.

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.

Don't be afraid to reach for the stars

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.

It's fun to work the robotic arm in part because it's really a team effort.

Education is what allows you to stand out

Astronauts are very professional and when they're preparing for launch, they prepare for it as the most serious endeavor of our lives.

We are involved in technology development for, you know, missions that we hope to plan that would take us to an asteroid and eventually to Mars.

That's what we want to do here at Johnson Space Center. I think what we have always brought to NASA and brought to the country is trying to push the boundaries, trying to go to the next level.

I realized how important it was to know something about aviation, and it was something I was interested in, so I followed my brother's footsteps and obtained my pilot's license.

I'll tell you, being involved in human space flight, it is an emotional endeavor. I think it brings in the highest highs and the lowest lows.

When you're young, everything carries a twin charge of novelty and infinite possibility

You can't have a people's democracy as long as corporations are considered people.

You're not in love if you keep your own heart bricked up behind your bones. You're only playing.

If not for the direct action of a John Brown and his comrades, America would still trade in the flesh of the black man.

Don't use your faith to try to get rid of problems. Use your faith to remain calm in the midst of your problems.

The logos of creation, 'And God Said ...' formed the basis of Christian interpretation of the 'Book of Nature.

Life is a vale of tears in which there are moments you just can't stop giggling.

Love is a madman, working his wild schemes, tearing off his clothes, running through the mountains...

And I guess you judge how well you're doing by how well you sleep at night... and what your dreams are like.

Being a grownup means assuming responsibility for yourself, for your children, and - here's the big curve - for your parents.