Julie Payette

“I'm a true believer in the strength of teamwork, in the power of dreams.”

“We should continue all the time to look out for those who have less, to stand for those who can't, to reach out across differences, to use our land intelligently, to open our borders and welcome those who seek harbour, and never, ever cease to be curious, ask questions, and to explore and search.”

“Maple butter spread on a tortilla is absolutely delightful.”

“What's really important is to recognize when people do great things or when people pursue an initiative or show enormous generosity or heart or bravery.”

“I actually don't remember Apollo 11 exactly because, at the time, I was five years old. The landing happened at night, and the walk on the moon happened at night eastern time, and I asked my parents; my mom said I was probably asleep, and so I just don't have any recollection. I do have recollection of the later missions to the moon.”

“Science is fun, and it's fundamental.”

“We have always a roll to play in any community, and we have to do it - it's being part of a society.”

“On my first mission, I was the spacewalk supervisor: the person that runs the spacewalk from inside the vehicle. As such, I was the one that closed the hatch when my colleagues left to work outside for six hours. And I was also the person who opens the hatch when they come back, and we repressurize.”

“I am convinced that anyone can accomplish anything.”

“A lot of people, I think, would love to see the earth from above, wear a spacesuit. Certainly, when I was a kid, I wanted to wear a spacesuit.”

“It reassures me that when we get together as a community, when we put our effort together and our will to help others, we can achieve anything, and that is a lesson for us all.”

“Young kids get motivated by everything. If they see a great dancer, some of them would want to become a dancer. If they see a great soccer player, they want to become a soccer player.”

“Anyone can accomplish anything and rise to the challenge as long as they are willing to work with others, to let go of the personal agenda, to reach a higher goal, and to do what is right for the common good.”

“It is one planet and we all have a duty to protect it. We have to work together. We have to use our power to work together and make decisions and changes that are needed to preserve our world.”

“I really feel like, on my first mission, the first mission is when you prove yourself and hopefully deserve the privilege to continue as an astronaut and remain in the corps and get granted an opportunity for a second mission.”

“I was a flight engineer on my second flight, which is the most senior position a non-American can have aboard the shuttle. We're the cockpit crew. We fly the vehicle up to space, dock the vehicle to the space station, undock it at the end of the mission, and return it to the ground.”

“I welcome comments. I think criticism can be very constructive and can help further. I mean, there's no perfect perfection anywhere. There's no perfect picture.”

“Will we have a colony on Mars? I think so.”

“Clearly, when I first started talking about the fact that I wanted to be an astronaut, I was in primary school, so people understand that we want to be all kinds of things then. It's not a big deal.”

“We have fans that circulate air in the cabin of the module of the space shuttle. They're running all the time. They're absolutely necessary because, otherwise, you will breathe your own CO2 and intoxicate yourself quite fast.”