It's a little surprising to me that I'm the first…

I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. I really did…

— Mae Jemison

'You spin in the sky, the world spins under you, and you step from land to land, while we . . .' She turned…

— Samuel R. Delany

I think the astronaut job is the best job in the world. I realized when I was older and started applying for it that…

— Michael J. Massimino

NASA is developing space taxis to shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station. And just like New York taxis, they're all going to be…

— Jimmy Fallon

I stayed in the astronaut program until 1993. People ask me why I left. I thought I had a lot of things to contribute…

— Mae Jemison

“Sometimes when people find out I’m an astronaut, they ask, “So what do you do when you’re not flying in space?”

— Chris Hadfield

Rugby has surprisingly helped me a lot as an astronaut and when I'm training in the space suit.

— Anne McClain

As a former Apollo astronaut, I think it's safe to say that SpaceX and the other commercial developers embody the 21st century version of…

— Rusty Schweickart

My optimism and confidence come not from feeling I'm luckier than other mortals, and they sure don't come from visualizing victory. They're the result…

— Chris Hadfield

“My experiences in the Astronaut Corps had taught me that you never know what will happen from day to day. It’s best to experience…

— Leland Melvin

As a kid, I knew I wanted to be either a cartoonist or an astronaut. The latter was never much of a possibility, as…

— Bill Watterson

I think it's good to have competition. Now we have a third country that can launch astronauts, so it's good for all of us.…

— Leroy Chiao

I was told when I grew up I could be anything I wanted: a fireman, a policeman, a doctor – even President, it seemed.…

— Bill Hicks

The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone, our home that must be defended like a holy relic. The Earth was absolutely…

— Alexey Leonov

“Whilst my mother couldn't give me access to the world, she at least made sure to let me know it existed. A kid cannot…

— Trevor Noah