When I did my spacewalks, it was during space station construction. So the shuttle was docked to the fledgling ISS at the time. So we would always stay tethered.
Most of us at least briefly considered answering, 'An astronaut,' when asked as children what we wanted to be when we grew up.
What guy didn't want to be an astronaut growing up?
I was only 8 years old on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong, 38-year-old commander of 'Apollo 11,' descended the cramped lunar module Eagle's ladder with hefty backpack and bulky spacesuit to become the first human on the moon.
Whenever I gaze up at the moon, I feel like I'm on a time machine. I am back to that precious pinpoint of time, standing on the foreboding - yet beautiful - Sea of Tranquility. I could see our shining blue planet Earth poised in the darkness of space.
I remember it was hard to believe that I was taking a step onto the lunar surface.
If you look, like, in 1960, there was no such thing as an astronaut. It was a totally fanciful concept, but nine years later or whatever, we were landing on the moon, which is just astonishing.
I think I was very interested in the space program as a kid, watching the first Apollo missions to the moon, and it's something I thought that would be a lot of, of fun and exciting and a very worthwhile job.
Walking in space is absolutely the most exhilarating part of a mission. The view is just incredible.
I remember reading about Mae Jemison, that astronaut. That was immensely fantastic to me. This woman went to the moon!
When I became an astronaut, I was an engineer.
The moon's a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there.
I grew up in Spokane, Washington, and I can't recall ever not wanting to be an astronaut.
I've always been a bit of a space geek. I wrote an article years ago about the neutral buoyancy tank, which is this biblically sized pool where they train astronauts. And it was just the coolest thing.
From day one, I have been told I am no different from the male astronauts. As a pilot, I flew in the sky. Now that I am an astronaut, I will fly in space.
I fully expect that NASA will send me back to the moon as they treated Sen. Glenn, and if they don't do otherwise, why, then I'll have to do it myself.
Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to be an astronaut.
I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid. I grew up in Houston. Gordo Cooper was my favorite astronaut.
I thought the attractions of being an astronaut were actually, not so much the Moon, but flying in a completely new medium.
When we're doing the space walks, we're working very very hard. Every single minute is choreographed. But there's a few minutes here and there where ground is maybe talking about something, and you have to put your tools down and wait. Just getting a chance to look through your visor and see the planet go by was incredible.
Then, much later, my next dream was to become an astronaut, and I was fortunate to realize that dream, also.
At one-sixth gravity in that suit, you have to move in a different way.
I had the good fortune and the gift to be one of the 12 men to walk on the moon.
Most kids probably dream of becoming an astronaut. I was just the one that never grew out of it.
If I couldn't be an actor, I would only consider being an astronaut, a sea otter, or a gynecologist.
