It was a cherished experience. I feel I got the chance to see the inner workings of the grand order of things. In the overall scheme of things, it proves that men can do about anything they want to if they work hard enough at it, and I knew that I could do it… and that leads, of course, to a strong suspicion that everybody else can do it if they want to.”
— Scott Carpenter
I volunteered for a number of reasons. One of these, quite frankly, was that I thought this was a chance for immortality.
— Scott Carpenter

Pioneering in space was something I would willingly give my life for.
— Scott Carpenter

Satisfying curiosity ranks No. 2 in my book behind conquering a fear.
— Scott Carpenter

At no time, when the astronauts were in space were they alone, there was a constant surveillance by UFOs.
— Scott Carpenter

We’ve got to take care of the resources we have on this planet, because there’s no resupply possible.
— Scott Carpenter

This planet is not Terra Firma. It is a delicate flower and it must be cared for. It’s lonely. It’s small. It’s isolated, and there is no resupply. And we are mistreating it.
— Scott Carpenter

Space is not an enterprise that belongs to the U.S. or to Russia or to China – it is a human endeavor and experience. And that’s as it should be.
— Scott Carpenter

The flight experience itself is incredible. It’s addictive. It’s transcendent. It is a view of the grand plan of all things that is simply unforgettable.
— Scott Carpenter

If all you do is sit and read, all you get is smart and soft.
— Scott Carpenter

It’s interesting how at odds we were then with the Soviet Union.
— Scott Carpenter
