Anyone who has spent any time in space will love it for the rest of their lives. I achieved my childhood dream of the sky.

I am deeply grieved by the loss of the crew of Columbia. I express my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the astronauts. I believe that their names will remain as the bright sparkling stars in the universe and will light the way for those who will follow them on the difficult roads of space exploration.

A bird cannot fly with one wing only. Human space flight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women.

If women can be railroad workers in Russia, why can't they fly in space?

Hey sky, take off your hat, I'm on my way!

Once you've been in space, you appreciate how small and fragile the Earth is.

On Earth, men and women are taking the same risks. Why shouldn't we be taking the same risks in space?

I would not say that female cosmonauts are not welcomed in the Russian space program. I must say, however, that all spaceflight hardware, including spacesuits and spacecraft comfort assuring systems, were designed mostly by men and for men.

There was a lake beneath me, but the big, heavy parachute which had to be opened two miles above the ground couldn't be steered. My first thought was, 'Lord, they send just one woman into space, and she has to end up in the water.'