- Self - Astronaut, NASA: What I'm really looking forward to is the experience of seeing all the things that everyone comes back and talks about while in orbit.
- Self - Astronaut, NASA 1969-1986: [describing reentering Earth's atmosphere in the Space Shuttle] There was this pretty pink-colored glow out the windows. I always likened it to riding down a neon tube. As soon as we hit daylight, that pink color faded away. I got a sense of speed coming in on entry. The ocean and the clouds were really whizzing by. Coming across the mountains and seeing the dry lake beds there, it was very obvious where we were.