I always knew I'd go to space.

Too many people, when they get old, think that they have to live by the calendar.

There are times when you devote yourself to a higher cause than personal safety.

I don't know what you could say about a day in which you have seen four beautiful sunsets.

To sit back and let fate play its hand out and never influence it is not the way man was meant to operate.

We have an infinite amount to learn both from nature and each other.

I wanted to be a professional dancer for some time, and I did a lot of dancing and choreography and got paid for it.

Some of the most fun people I know are scientists.

When God made the colour purple, God was just showing off.

The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity.

The thing that I have done throughout my life is to do the best job that I can and to be me.

Greatness can be captured in one word: lifestyle. Life is God's gift to you, style is what you make of it.

Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations.

For a long time, society put obstacles in the way of women who wanted to enter the sciences.

I don't have any nicknames.

Yes, I did feel a special responsibility to be the first American woman in space.

On both of my flights, everything went very well.

It's too bad our society isn't further along.

If it wasn't for the women's movement, I wouldn't be where I am today.