I'm 45, and I'm still at school, essentially. Even after being assigned to the mission, I had to write a number of exams, with people commenting on my performance.

You're always under the microscope, and you don't know which mission you're going to get. It's a surprise.

When you're a little different than others, it takes a little more time to fit in. If you really want to be there, there are no ingredients you need other than effort, perseverance and teamwork.

A lot of people, I think, would love to see the earth from above, wear a spacesuit. Certainly, when I was a kid, I wanted to wear a spacesuit.

Most people here don't have a wide emotional range. It's just the type of people astronauts are, they're required to be level.

Definitely you don't become famous by doing something bad; that's a professional death sentence.

Some people will always be volunteers to explore, and it is, in my mind, a privilege.

Nobody is going anywhere in 10 years.

On the day a country decides not to invest a cent in innovation, discovery or exploration, that country decides to be a tributary to others.

The opportunities to become an astronaut in Canada were far and few.

I am definitely a little more nervous for my colleagues when I'm working at mission control than I am myself, on the shuttle.

That's the whole problem, isn't it?" He turned his face toward the night sky and let out a horrible laugh, like a gasp of pain. "Why are you the only person who's allowed to be strong?

Meanwhile, the Ice Storm was still in development, And that was something I really wanted to do, and frankly I don't think I was ready to do a big production like this.

I don't want to be anything else other than what I am. I can say that with passion. No regrets.

I have a little dictaphone and if a sound takes my fancy or if a lyric comes to me in the middle of the night I'll just record it there and then.

Very early in life, I fell in love with the landscape of the human face, where all the emotional states of life are to be found.

Oliver's heart tried to pound its way out of his ribcage, but he ignored it. "I'm in love with Petunia," he announced. "And I want to help her.

Thank you guys. Thank you for never giving up on me.

I do like to keep my private life to myself. But then again, I don't really get up to much.

Greece isn't a democracy now it's run through a troika - three foreign officials that fly into Athens airport and tell the Greeks what they can and can't do.

The greater part of instruction is being reminded of things you already know.