Kalpana Chawla

The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.

Do something because you really want to do it. If you're doing it just for the goal and don't enjoy the path, then I think you're cheating yourself.

We gazed dreamily at the Milky Way and once in a while caught some shooting stars. Times like those gave me the opportunity to wonder and ask all those very basic questions. That sense of awe for the heavens started there.

If you want to do something, what does it matter where you are ranked?

We crossed the Himalayas in less than two minutes, and then you realise, 'Oh My God, within an hour and a half, we have gone around the whole planet.'

Material interests are not the only guiding light.

The first view of the Earth is magical... in such a small planet, with such a small ribbon of life, so much goes on. It is as if the whole place is sacred. You get the feeling that I need to work extraordinarily hard along with other human beings to respect that.

It's easy for me to be motivated and inspired by seeing somebody who just goes all out to do something.

It is a very overpowering realization that the Earth is so small. It affected me.

I would say if you have a dream, follow it. It doesn't really matter whether you are a woman or from India or from wherever.

There are so many people who are arguing or fighting over issues which don't have much relevance. We must all realise it is not worth it.

There are so many people who are arguing or fighting over issues which don't have much relevance. We must all realise it is not worth it. It's like being in the whirlpools which are always present behind a little rock near a river. We seem to be living in these little whirlpools and forget that there is a whole river. The picture is much bigger.

Some of the senior people, the very senior astronauts, shook my hand and said, 'K.C., you did a great job. Don't let anyone tell you different.'

The list of what I want to do is so long, I would need a few lifetimes to achieve them. For instance, I would like to fly small planes, maybe over the Ganges one day.

When you lift off, the pressure is supposed to be maximum. But actually, it was very benign. Very enjoyable. But as soon as the engines cut off and you get to zero gravity, you felt as if you were being pushed off your seat. You feel disoriented. You don't feel aligned with anything. I felt for a few good hours that I was falling.

Take good care of our fragile planet.

When you look at the stars and the galaxy, you feel that you are not just from any particular piece of land, but from the solar system.

The journey matters as much as the goal.

I don't know why I always liked aerospace engineering. I was in the 10th grade when I figured that's what I wanted to do.

The quickest way may not necessarily be the best.

I stopped thinking about it after trying to figure out what are the lessons learned, and there are so many. After I had basically sorted that out, I figured it's time to really look at the future and not at the past.

You must enjoy the journey because whether or not you get there, you must have fun on the way.

I was interested in aerospace and flying, and the U.S. is really the best place in the world for flying.

Every once in a while, we'd ask my dad if we could get a ride in one of these planes. And, he did take us to the flying club and get us a ride in the Pushpak and a glider that the flying club had.

The first view of the Earth is magical. It is a very overpowering realization that the Earth is so small. It affected me. I could not get over the notion that in such a small planet, with such a small ribbon of life, so much goes on. It is as if the whole place is sacred.

You are just your intelligence.