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Steamboat Springs — Seeing her husband launch into space left Mary Swanson searching for words.

Amidst the emotional launch of the space shuttle Atlantis a couple of weeks ago and the uncertainty about its landing location June 22, Swanson said she found the perfect words to best describe the experience.

"Really cool," she said Wednesday from her home in Houston.

NASA astronaut Steve Swanson, a Steamboat Springs High School graduate, isn't allowed to talk to the media for another week or so, which has given Mary and their children that much more time with their favorite space traveler.

Although she couldn't remember exactly what Steve said - or what she said to him - when they saw each other for the first time after the STS-117 crew arrived back in Houston on Saturday, she did know one thing.

Steve can go back into space anytime he wants.

"It was just really an amazing thing. I was happy he was able to do it," Mary said. "We completely support him. As far as I'm concerned he can fly as many times as he wants."

Mary attended the shuttle's launch in Florida, but because weather delayed the landing and then forced a change of location to California, she couldn't attend the homecoming.

"The launch was emotionally intense at times," she said. "The landing I wasn't too worried about. You always have a little anxiety, but the launch was the most intense part."

Mary admits she's sleeping a little better now that Steve's on the ground. At times, Mary said it just seemed as if Steve was on a trip, except "it was straight up."

Either way, Steve's journey into space reaffirmed the couple's dedication to his pursuit of space.

Mary said both love the mountains and made a sacrifice to live in fast-paced Houston. And the 14-day mission has made the 20 years spent in Houston worth it, Mary said.

"It made everything completely worthwhile," she said. "Every time we saw him, he was just grinning from ear to ear. It was completely worthwhile. It's been a lot more fun than anything else."

Steve is being debriefed by NASA officials and preparing to get re-assigned. Mary said in the next couple of weeks, Steve should know what his next job with NASA will be. In six months, she said, he should know what his next expedition into space will be.

Steve hasn't changed much because of the experience, his wife said.

"Sometimes I think about it and it's kind of cool. But at the same time, he's just Steve," Mary said. "I always think of him as a mountain man who happens to be an astronaut.

"The whole experience was wonderful, even if I lived it vicariously."