This photo was taken in 1979 while Jerry (a NASA engineer) and Franklin Chang-Diaz (the first Hispanic astronaut that I met) and I, were working in the processing of Columbia first Space Shuttle mission.  Chang (as we call him) was born in Costa Rica.  His mother was from that country and his father was Japanese.

During my work at Kennedy Space Center I witness many rockets and space shuttle launches.  This photo brings memories of the emotion and excitement that you feel listening to the roar of the engines pushing the vehicle into orbit.

During my work at Kennedy Space Center I witness many rockets and space shuttle launches.  As a Physicist and Astronomer I was given the opportunity to become an astronaut, but, I decline the offer.  I don’t have the guts to stand on top of a vehicle that could explode during the first few seconds of launch.  I applaud all those astronauts that defy the dangers of flying into space.

Here my friend astronaut Mike Mullane and I pose for a picture at Kennedy Space Center.  Mike wrote a book entitled RIDING ROCKETS.  In this book he explains the painful life of a typical astronaut.

I worked as a scientist for the first three Spacelab Missions.  This is a memoir of the Spacelab Mission 3.  The Spacelab Mission was the precursor of the International Space Station.

This is the first landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981.  Notice the damage of many of the tiles.  Some tiles were cracked and other came off, but, the mission was never in danger.