You've been at NASA since the glory days of space travel. How have things changed since then?

Like any new frontier, you may call the first years of expedition as glory days. What follows is the real work. The fact that you do not hear much about it does not mean that it is any less important. The danger and risk of the early expeditions are succeeded by the
stations and laboratories that will enable the research and the discoveries of tomorrow.

How do you see the future of the space programme?

I see the space programme's future along three lines. One is to carry out systematic research away from Earth's gravitational forces, in order to help us understand the role that gravity has played in the evolution of life on Earth.

Secondly, I foresee that human curiosity and drive
will push us to explore beyond low Earth orbit to other planets. Last but not least, I think that there is a huge Space Tourism potential, whether in low Earth orbit or on the Moon, where habitats can be established for visiting scientists, astronomers, recreation - even to hold Lunar Olympics at 1/6 the Earth's gravity!

What is your relationship to Greece?

My parents both originated from the island of Sifnos in the Cyclades. We spent many happy summers there. My family moved to Athens in the mid-Sixties, so I had many opportunities to visit Greece. Recently, though, with the workload at NASA, I have visited less frequently than I would have liked. In the last three or four years, I have been delighted to support the founding of the Greek Aerospace Medical Association, and to help increase interest in Greece in the excitement of space. The Humans in Space Symposium in Santorini provided the forum for experts from across the world to discover Greece and hopefully for Greeks to wake up to what space brings to their everyday lives, and its importance as a new scientific frontier in the Age of Biology, as the new century is being called.