2 Lift Off!

A week later, he was on his way to deep space with a crew of other explorers all eager for adventure. Steve was strapped down to a chair, facing straight up, next to the five others that signed up for the trip. At the front of the spaceship sat two trained pilots to fly the rocket.

After long while of preparation, they were ready. As the countdown started, he felt a rush of excitement and adrenaline course through his veins.

15 seconds were on the timer...

14 seconds...

13...

Steve felt a trickle of nervousness go down his spine. He was going to be heading to a foreign planet with nothing but a few weeks of experience on his shoulders. What if he messes something up there and NASA decides to bring him back early? He knew it could happen. A couple of days ago, Steve saw an experienced astronaut come back early from a trip, because he accidentally pressed a wrong button on the spacecraft. NASA didn't have room for mistakes on such important space explorations.

7 seconds left...

6...

5...

He also heard that the other astronaut had to come back alone on a special escape pod that was programmed to automatically head towards Earth. Steve didn't want to be alone. He had enough of that when his entire job was based around being stuck in a small cubicle full of papers. Or should he say his old job? Steve had already quit his job in preparation for this space exploration. Hopefully, if the trip goes well, NASA could hire him full time to explore different other planets!

3 seconds left...

2...

1...

LIFT OFF!

The lift off was spectacular. Steve had seen rocket launches on TV, but being in one was nothing like he'd ever expected. As the rocket ascended away from Earth, Steve felt the lack of gravity contributing to his weightlessness.

He watched through the window as Earth quickly faded from view. The pilots told the crew that they were entering light-speed travel through the galaxy. This was a recent development in space exploration: the ability to travel at the speed of light through space.

With eyes filled with amazement, Steve felt a slight jolt and then they were gliding smoothly through space toward planet Zoya.