| Audio | Visual |
|---|---|
| Reach for the Stars: How I became an astronaut The Story of Stephanie D. Wilson. By Stephen Schutz. |
Shuttle blast off and Stephanie in her space suit. |
| Curiosity. I was just like any other child. I was very curious, liked to travel, and always asked a lot of questions. |
A photo of Stephanie as a child shows her standing in front of a gate near rushing water. Caption reads: Stephanie at age 6 on a family vacation, Niagara Falls, NY. |
| Enthusiasm. In eighth grade, a homework assignment changed my life. Our teacher asked us to talk to grown-ups with interesting jobs. I spoke with an astronomer. The astronomer was bursting with enthusiasm as he talked about the millions of stars in the sky. That's when I became interested in space and decided I wanted to be an astronaut. |
A photo shows colorful clouds of gas floating among the stars. Caption reads: Horsehead Nebula. |
| Education. I worked hard in school. My parents and teachers encouraged me to have faith in my abilities and to follow my dreams. My favorite subjects in school were science, languages, and music. I also became more interested in space travel. |
Stephanie in cap and gown at graduation. Caption reads: Graduation in 1992 with a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. |
| Practice. After college, I was honored to be chosen to join the Astronaut Training Program at NASA. As I trained, I practiced many new skills over and over again until I could do them well. |
Stephanie practicing with the control stick. |
| Excitement. At last, I was ready to go into space! On the day of the launch, I was very excited. I walked out of the building where we lived for a few days prior to the launch, wearing a 35-pound launch and entry suit. I had exercised to stay strong and ate healthy foods including fruits and vegetables. That's why I had plenty of energy. The space shuttle needed a different kind of energy. |
Shuttle crew in space suits. Two women and five men. Caption reads: Crew of Space Shuttle Discovery, Mission STS-120. |
| Energy. Liftoff! Big blasts of energy from the rocket engines push the space shuttle up and lift it off of the ground. The shuttle must fly extremely fast to go around the Earth. That's why the rocket engines keep blasting for liftoff. They stop once we reach space. |
Shuttle blasting off. |
| Atmosphere. The atmosphere is the thin layer of air that wraps around the Earth. The space shuttle flies high above the atmosphere. Can you guess how long it takes to get into space above the atmosphere? Only eight and a half minutes! Along the way, the empty solid rocket engines and large fuel tank drop off and fall back to Earth. |
Illustration of the shuttle's main engines firing after empty engines and main fuel tank fall off. Caption reads: Empty rocket engines and the main fuel tank fall to the Earth. The Space Shuttle's main engines remain with the shuttle. |
| Orbit. It's amazing! The space shuttle can fly 250 miles above the ground, but compared to the size of the Earth, it doesn't seem very high at all. Why doesn't the shuttle fall down? Unlike a ball that falls back down to the ground, the shuttle flies so fast it actually falls around the Earth. The shuttle's path is called its orbit. |
Photo of the Earth and its thin atmosphere. Most of the atmosphere is within a very thin layer. Caption reads: The atmosphere "fades away" into space and does not have a definite edge. More than 99% of the atmosphere is within 25 miles of the earth's surface. |
| Weightlessness. Once the space shuttle goes into orbit, everything floats. It doesn't matter if you're upside down or right side up! |
Stephanie floating inside the space shuttle. |
| Wonder. I can't believe this is a picture of me in space! We all learn in school that the Earth is round, but it's amazing to actually see it with your own eyes! |
Stephanie at the shuttle window looking down at Earth. |
| Mission. Our mission included delivering a new section to the International Space Station. Children from around the country submitted names for this new section. Harmony was the winning name. My job was to use a special robotic arm to move Harmony from the cargo bay. |
Stephanie and a crewmate aboard the Space Station. Caption reads: Stephanie with Daniel Tani, flight engineer, checking instrumentation. |
| Friendship. We made friends. Our crew of seven worked together with three astronauts already on the International Space Station. This group included astronauts from Italy and Russia. Peggy was the commander of the International Space Station and Pam was the commander of the space shuttle. |
The shuttle and Space Station crews together, including three women. |
| Success. Returning to Earth is not easy. The space shuttle moves much faster than a normal airplane. As it comes down, it rubs against the air and gets very, very hot. The bottom of the shuttle is covered with special tiles to protect it from the heat. If the tiles weren't there, it would burn up. |
The shuttle landing on the runway with its parachute dragging. |
| Dream! I still dream. I dream about the millions of stars and planets. I dream about the different kinds of life forms that might be living out there somewhere. What is your dream? You should follow the dream that lies within your heart. THE END |
Stephanie looks up at the stars. |