Only a select few make it up into space, but for Naoko Yamazaki, Japan's first mother to don an astronaut's suit, it meant waiting over a decade after being selected and then facing a major family crisis as her husband put his own dreams on hold to realize hers.
The successful launch of space shuttle Discovery carrying 39-year-old Yamazaki and six other crew members on April 5 was a dream come true for her and her husband, Taichi, 37. It was made all the more special by the hurdles they both had to overcome.
The couple, who were at one point driven almost to divorce, recently published books on their experiences, calling for the creation of a society that does not require one partner to sacrifice his or her dreams for the other.