Launch Day
Noa rides a rocket for the first time
Today is my first day into space.
I am sitting inside a small .
My white space suit feels heavy and .
Last year, I finished my long astronaut training.
Outside, thousands of people are watching the .
My family is standing far away behind a fence.
This morning, my mother hugged me and cried.
I can hear my own heart in my ears.
A calm voice is counting down from ten now.
"Ten, nine, eight," the voice says very slowly.
My hands are shaking, but I hold the belt.
"Three, two, one," the voice says at last.
The engines are roaring under my feet right now.
A huge power is pushing my body into the .
The is rising slowly into the morning sky.
The blue sky is turning darker every second.
Soon the windows showed only black space and stars.
Suddenly, the strong pushing stopped, and everything went quiet.
My arms are floating gently in front of my face.
A pen near me is flying slowly across the .
"We are in space now," the said warmly.
I looked out and saw the round blue Earth.
Tears are floating like tiny balls from my eyes.
My great space is finally beginning today.