We really have the most beautiful planet in our solar system. None other can sustain life like we know it. None other has blue water and white clouds covering colorful landmasses filled with thriving, beautiful, living things like human beings.
There are millions of stars out there. It is difficult to think that life does not exist in any one of them.
You don’t look at the big problem all together, because I think it’s a little intimidating. So you just take it one day at a time, meet the people who are going to meet with you, for you, and who you’re going to work for, and really try to do the best job that you can. That’s all teamwork, and that’s what space travel is about.
The Progress is launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, just like the Soyuz. It almost looks the same as the Soyuz but unmanned, so, essentially filled up with supplies for us – anything from food, science experiments, repair parts, etc., can go in it.
On the second flight, we were doing a lot of science experiments, and we’ve got a really cool window called the cupola. It’s a big, circular window with six panes around, sort of at angles so you can see the Earth, you can see the edge of the Earth, you can go out – look out into the universe. It’s pretty spectacular.
When you’re faced with something for the first time, and if you’re scared to death of that, you might want to reconcile your life beforehand.
When I go skiing in New England, I usually wake up early and drive up to Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine to make it in time for chairlift opening. That means leaving early and getting breakfast at one of the little quaint diners up in the mountains.