Gregory H. Johnson

I was a military brat; we moved all around. ”

One of my favorite places on the planet is a place in northern Michigan: Long Lake in Traverse City. ”

The building of the International Space Station is something wonderful, and it will show us how to take the next step beyond low-Earth orbit. ”

My first date was with Endeavour, and my last date is going to be with Endeavour, as far as space shuttles are concerned. ”

When I started flying, I realized how enjoyable it was, and flying became my main focus while engineering went on the back burner. ”

I really like connecting with kids. ”

I loved being a test pilot, and so being an astronaut was - was not my end point in, you know, either I achieved success by being an astronaut, or if I don't get picked, I'm not successful. I loved my career as a pilot, and it was a bonus to be selected as an astronaut. ”

I progressed through my schooling, undergraduate and graduate degrees, excited about math and science and engineering, but really didn't think about being an astronaut at that point. It was kind of unreachable. ”

I was watching a black and white television in Cairo, MI., at my grandparents' house, and I watched Neil Armstrong step on the moon. At that point, it set the bit for me to be an astronaut, and it was kind of like a dream, but it really wasn't reality. ”

Children often ask me, they say, 'Well, how do you become a fighter pilot, or how do you become an astronaut, or...?' And I say, 'Love what you're doing and do it very well.' ”