This was exactly what I experienced in space: immense gratitude for the opportunity to see Earth from this vantage, and for the gift of the planet we've been given.

And in that moment, I was hit with the realization that this delicate layer of atmosphere is all that protects every living thing on Earth from perishing in the harshness of space.

Earth is a small town with many neighborhoods in a very big universe.

Weightlessness was wonderful, and I was surprised at how natural it felt.

At this point I thought 'We made it,' by which I meant 'We survived.' I also was acutely aware that my childhood dream of flying into space had just come true.

I lay on my back, surprised at how calm and focused I felt, strapped to four and a half million pounds of explosives.