Powerful words from NASA astronauts that still inspire the world today

When Buzz Aldrin took up aeronautical engineering, little did he know that he would create history. But the NASA astronaut did not stop working hard. Neither did he stop dreaming. As a result, now, at 96-years-old, Aldrin is famously known as the second human to walk on the lunar surface after Neil Armstrong. 

In his book, ‘No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons From a Man Who Walked on the Moon,’ Aldrin wrote, "One truth I have discovered for sure: When you believe that all things are possible and you are willing to work hard to accomplish your goals, you can achieve the next 'impossible' dream. No dream is too high!"

Dreams never start on mountain tops. Looking at the daunting climb from the surface is what fuels the greatest achievers. The story of Dr. Mae C. Jemison, too, follows a similar narrative. She was born as the youngest of the three. Jemison’s father worked as a carpenter while her mother worked as an elementary school teacher. Moving to Chicago for better educational opportunities, she initially became a physician. But her hunger to pursue her dreams made her apply to NASA’s astronaut training program in October 1985. Seven years later, Dr. Jemison made history as the first African-American woman to travel in space. She was part of the Endeavor mission on STS47 in September 1992. 

The Space Shuttle Endeavor Mission Specialist said, "Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live."

Ellison Onizuka served in the position of a Lt. Colonel in the US Air Force, but his true calling lay elsewhere. After being selected by NASA as a mission specialist, he trained with the 1978 class known as the Thirty-Five New Guys or Group 8. Finally, in 1985, the NASA astronaut rode the ‘Discovery’ space shuttle for the STS-51-C mission, becoming the first ever Asian-American and the first of Japanese descent to travel to space. 

Trying to instill his beliefs into younger minds, Onizuka told the 1980 graduating class at Konawaena High School in Kona, Hawaii, “Your vision is not limited by what your eye can see, but by what your mind can imagine."

John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth back on February 20, 1962. He served as the mission pilot on the Friendship 7 spacecraft as it completed three full orbits. In an exceptional display of courage, Glenn manually operated the Mercury-Atlas 6 spacecraft when the autopilot malfunctioned. 

Later on, as John Glenn donated his personal and Senate papers to The Ohio University, he said, "If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet, it’s that the happiest and most fulfilled people I’ve known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self-interest."

Bill Anders was a Lunar Module pilot for the Apollo 8 mission in 1968. He made history as this was the first manned mission to get outside of the Earth’s orbit. Interestingly, as the Apollo 8 did not carry a lunar module, Andrews served as the primary photographer for the mission. 

This led him to take the iconic ‘Earthrise’ photograph that captured our blue planet as a breathtaking, colorful object rising over the lunar surface. Reflecting on the same, Anders said, "We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth."

Serving as a mission specialist on Artemis II, NASA astronaut Christina Koch made history by becoming the first woman to fly beyond low Earth orbit and to the vicinity of the Moon. 

When asked about what she would advise young people looking skyward during a presser, Koch said, "I used to say find your passion. But for me, it's changed to find what you can do the slowest, for the longest, and still absolutely love it and go in that direction."

Veteran NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is one of the most famous names when it comes to space missions. Williams’ dedication to her work has earned her the honor of spacewalking for 62 hours and 6 minutes. She also spent over 600 days in space, achieving a remarkable feat. During her career, Williams served as the pilot for the 2024 Boeing Crew Flight Test and also became the first to run a marathon in space. 

During an interview with the BBC after getting selected among the first group of astronauts for NASA's commercial crew program, Williams said, "Don't get bogged down by the notion of limits. There aren't any."

Victor Glover was selected as a NASA astronaut back in 2013. Serving as the pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station (Expedition 64), Glover holds the honor of being the first Black astronaut to successfully complete a long-duration stay at the International Space Station. And as he became a part of the 2026 Artemis II moon mission as the pilot, he etched his name in history by becoming the first black man to travel to deep space.

Glover also served as the pilot for the historic Artemis II mission, where he narrated his thoughts via a live transmission from space, saying, "You're on a spaceship called Earth, which was created to give us a place to live in the universe in the cosmos. You are special in all of this emptiness. You have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together."