Chapter 1: The Last Goodbye
The Sun was bright over the space center. Four astronauts walked to the big white rocket. Their names were Alex, Maria, David, and Kate. They were good friends. They worked together for three years. Now they were ready.
"Are you ready?" asked Alex. He was the captain. He was tall and strong.
"Yes," said Maria. She was the doctor. She smiled, but her eyes were a little sad.
"I am ready," said David. He was the engineer. He loved machines and rockets.
"Me too," said Kate. She was the scientist. She wanted to study red rocks and red dust.
The rocket was very big. It was called "Ares One." It stood on the ground like a tall white tower. People watched from far away. Families and friends waved their hands. Some people cried.
Maria looked at her mother. Her mother cried. Maria said, "Do not cry, Mama. I will come back. We will come back in two years."
Her mother said, "Two years is a long time."
"Yes," said Maria. "But this is my dream. I must go."
Alex looked at his wife and his little son. His son was five years old. The boy said, "Papa, are you going to the red star?"
Alex smiled. "Yes, my son. I am going to Mars. It is a red planet. I will bring you a red stone."
The boy laughed. "A red stone! I want a big red stone!"
"I will try," said Alex. He hugged his son and his wife.
David had no family at the space center. His family was far away. But his best friend came. His friend said, "David, be careful. Space is dangerous."
David said, "I know. But I am not afraid. I have a good team."
Kate looked at the sky. She thought about Mars. She thought about the red dust, the cold wind, and the big mountains. She was excited. She was also a little scared. But she did not tell her friends.
A man in a white suit came to them. He said, "The rocket is ready. It is time to go."
The four astronauts walked to the elevator. The elevator took them up, up, up to the top of the rocket. They opened a small door and went inside. The inside of the rocket was small but clean. There were four chairs, many buttons, and a big window.
"Sit down," said Alex. "Put on your seatbelts."
They sat down. They put on their seatbelts. They waited. The countdown began.
"Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one... LIFT OFF!"
The rocket shook. It was very loud. The four astronauts felt heavy. They could not move. They looked out the window. The sky was blue, then dark. The Earth was small. Then the Earth was very small. Then the Earth was a little blue ball in the black sky.
