BUT NEVER FLEW WITH TED...:

JC: How about Glenn's reactions aboard the flight itself?

SP: When John flew Mercury Friendship 7 in 1962, he was basically wearing his spacecraft. He had no room to get up and float. We called him a "rookie" on our Shuttle flight [laughs]. He had this great sense of wonder experiencing first-time weightlessness in three dimensions, and in seeing the full planet, not just through a tiny porthole but through large Shuttle windows on several orbits. It was a profound life experience for him. He also worked hard on the many experiments he took part in. We did flips and silly astronaut tricks, and he did them right alongside us! He was as happy as anyone I've ever seen in space.

JC: Compare your ascent of Mt. Everest with your first trip to space.

SP: People might imagine that I have a dramatic preference of one over the other. But, frankly, it's an apples-to-oranges comparison, and I would never trade either. The opportunity to fly in space is a profound life changer -- it's a Shirley MacLaine out-of-body experience to see your home planet from those altitudes, flying at such enormous speeds. You're kind of looking back on your former existence.

Tweet   @brothersjudd