I Came To The United States In

Growing Up In India, I Knew All I Needed To Change The World Was One Good Opportunity, And I Prepared Myself For It. When That Opportunity Came - In The Form Of The Chance To Earn An Engineering Degree - I Was Ready.

I Believe We Need A More Opportunistic And Democratic Approach To Lunar Exploration, Now That We're Shifting From U.s. Government-sponsored Space Exploration To Private Expeditions.

Being A Father Has Been, Without A Doubt, My Greatest Source Of Achievement, Pride And Inspiration. Fatherhood Has Taught Me About Unconditional Love, Reinforced The Importance Of Giving Back And Taught Me How To Be A Better Person.

I Grew Up Poor In India, And There Were Days When We Struggled To Find Food And Other Basic Necessities. Our Mother Worked Odds And Ends Jobs To Keep The Family Together And Educate Us.

As A Young Boy Growing Up In Rural India, Most Of What I Knew Of The World Was What I Could See Around Me. But Each Night, I Would Look At The Moon - It Was Impossibly Far Away, Yet It Held A Special Attraction Because It Allowed Me To Dream Beyond My Village And Country, And Think About The Rest Of The World And Space.