Space Rocket

Hello! I am a big, tall Space Rocket. My nose points to the sky and my feet are fiery and strong. My most important job is to go WHOOSH way up high. I fly past the fluffy white clouds and zoom past the bright blue sky until everything looks like a tiny map below. I go all the way to where the sleepy moon and sparkly stars twinkle. Before I go on an adventure, everyone counts down for me. It is so exciting! They say, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF. I get a big, rumbly feeling in my belly, and then I shoot up into the sky.

A long, long time ago, a very smart man named Robert Goddard dreamed of sending things up high. He was my first friend. He made my great-great-grandpa, the very first rocket to use special fuel. On a chilly day, March 16th, 1926, my grandpa took his first little flight. It was not very high, just a tiny hop like a bunny, but it was the most important hop ever. It showed everyone that we could fly. Then, many years later, my giant brother, the Saturn V rocket, got the most special job of all. On July 20th, 1969, he carried brave explorers all the way to the Moon. They wore big puffy suits and took bouncy, slow-motion steps, leaving the very first footprints there.

Today, I am still flying high and helping everyone. Sometimes I carry shiny satellites up to the sky. They are like helpers that float around the Earth. They help you talk to grandma on the phone or watch your favorite cartoons on TV. I also carry little robot cars called rovers to explore other planets, like the sandy red planet Mars. I am a helper and an explorer, and I love my job. I get to show everyone how amazing and big our universe is. So next time you look up at the bright Moon, give it a little wave. I might be flying by, on my way to a new starry adventure.