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He bought back the company in 2002 and retooled, focusing on infrared cameras for military use. He will have some of that equipment with him on the spacecraft Soyuz. Im just pleased to be able to go out on a scientific mission and use a camera that was developed right here in New Jersey. He is divorced and the father of two daughters, 30-year-old Krista and 31-year-old Kim. He is mindful of the space shuttle Columbia disaster a year ago, when seven astronauts perished as the shuttle broke apart on reentry after a 16-day mission. But he does not dwell on the victims fate, and he has the support of his family. Its the same reason you get in your car every night and dont feel fear, he said. The mission is scheduled for April 2005, although Olsen has been told it could be rescheduled for this October. Between training sessions at Space City, he will be fine-tuning his experiments, which involve surveying water vapor in crops and mineral content in soil. Considering the $20 million charge for his trip, Olsen said he understood why some would argue his money would have better uses on Earth, such as fighting hunger or funding health initiatives. I thought a long time about that and that was the first issue I had to deal with, he said. He leaned toward what he called the scientific value of our mission and his intention to go around and talk to dozens and dozens and hopefully hundreds of high schools and tell them about my experience. They can see a guy who struggled in high school can go on to get a PhD in the sciences, he said. Its the type of lesson that Richard Capalbo, a childhood friend now living in California, said has far more impact when he recalls Olsens years in high school and college. He had a guidance counselor, and he told Greg to join the Army because he would never amount to anything, Capalbo said. Then when Greg went to Fairleigh Dickinson, the school had nothing. He would actually be building the machines to use in science labs. This guy is the perennial failure, and he turns out to be a marvel physicist, he said. He thinks, When God gives you a lot of gifts, you have to give things back. I know who he is and its been one of the delights of my life to know him.
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