No Matter What

Our Hero

"Mission Control, this is Hero V. Do you copy?" I said into my headset.

"Loud and clear Hero V," said a crackling voice. "You have permission to begin re-entry."

"Copy that, Huston," I said.

I looked out the window at all the stars. It was the way they should be seen: no light pollution, no planes getting in the way.

"Alright ladies, are we ready?" asked Heather, the pilot.

"I am," said Sandra, the copilot.

"Yes! Get me back to my babies!" said Julia, who was sitting next to me.

Julia won the contest for a civilian to join us on this mission. The other three of us were tried and true astronauts. Sandra and I were trained with NASA, and Heather was from SpaceX. Both organizations combined their resources to create the Mini-Shuttle Program, or MSP.

"Okay, everybody buckle in. Let's go home!" Heather said.

I double checked all my straps. Everything was good. I looked out my window and saw the Earth getting bigger and bigger while the ISS got smaller and smaller. Soon enough, we were surrounded by sparks and orange flames as we came back down to Earth.

I was getting jostled all over the place and holding onto the arms of my chair to keep myself in place, even with my chest strap on. The other girls were cheering, but I was trying not to puke. Note to self for next time: don't eat right before re-entry. Funny thing was: I knew how bumpy this ride was because I'd done this in the simulator a hundred times, but I insisted on having a snack anyway.

Once we got out from a layer of clouds, it felt just like being on a plane. I could see the oceans and mountains getting closer. My ears were popping up a storm throughout the entire descent. Soon there were cities, then buildings. It was a bright, sunny day out in Florida.

"Welcome home Hero V. You're clear for landing," said a voice in my helmet.

"Rodger that," said Heather.

I had my hand at the ready as we approached the runway. Other than Julia, I was a noob on this shuttle. I had one job.

"Steady. Steady," Sanda said.

"I know. I know! I can land a shuttle!" Heather said.

Heather took us in, smooth and steady. The back wheels touched down, and as soon as the front ones hit the runway, it was my time to shine.

"Deploying chutes!" I said.

Just like I'd practiced a hundred times in the simulation, I hit the button next to me with the little movement I had left in my fingers. The back hatch opened and we could all start to feel the resistance of the shuttle.

Between the brakes, reverse-thrusters, and my superb button-pressing, parachute opening skills, we had a perfect stop in the middle of the runway of the Kennedy Space Center.

"We did it!" Julia said.

"Nice job, ladies! Especially you two rookies," Heather said to Julia and myself.

The four of us were doing a mixture of cheering and crying. Mostly the crying was from me, because I was so happy my chutes opened. I was full of anxiety that my one chance to shine would be ruined because of a faulty hatch.

The door opened, and immediately, the medical staff were there to greet us. I was instantly hit by fresh air. I didn't realize how much I'd miss something like that up there.

"Can you walk, Ayla?" a nurse asked me.

"I think I need some help," I said.

She and another staffer helped me up. With my arms around them, I took slow, tiny steps out of the Hero V and onto the tarmac. The crowd was absolutely roaring. I really wanted to give them a big wave, but all I could do was smile and wiggle my fingers.