Not one to take no for an answer, Williams started doing whatever it took her to inch her way towards realizing her goal. The result was her selection as trainee astronaut in 1998 by NASA.

In May NASA named her part of the crew for STS-116 for a six month-long ISS expedition.

Williams is planning to launch a web site, a kind of journal that will record her impressions of what life in space is like, after her return. "I hope to leave an impression for people, normal human beings, that they can achieve their goals if they put their minds to it," she said.

She has been waiting for a flight since her selection as an astronaut in 1998 but the excitement hasn't kept her awake at night.

"I am sleeping very well because the days are really busy and I have a lot of things going on," she said with a chuckle. Williams said despite her hectic schedule she was still trying to exercise to make sure she is in top shape before she heads for space.

"I am trying to squeeze that in and I'm pretty disciplined about my health. I think that is the main thing -- allowing me to sleep well.. At this point of time physical fitness is the most important thing," she said.