The Space Mission Adventure Read Online Free Page B

to turn. Faster and faster, up, down, around, upside down, and sideways. Over, under, through, and back again. Ziggy’s braids flew wildly—like branches in a windstorm—but his body stayed safely glued to the chair. “Wheeee!” he cried out.
    â€œHow is it, Ziggy?” Alan asked from the benches where the rest of the kids waited their turn.
    â€œAmazing, mon!” Ziggy managed to say as he was whipped around and around.
    Finally the machine stopped, and the MAT chair returned to its upright position, swaying just slightly as Ziggy waved at his friends. He jumped downtriumphantly and sauntered over to the bench as Jessica ran forward to take her turn.



“Did you feel like you were going to throw up?” Rico wanted to know.
    â€œNo, mon. I didn’t even get dizzy. It was the most fantastic thing I’ve ever done!”
    â€œWhat was it like while you were spinning?” Cubby asked. “Real astronauts train on equipment like this, you know.”
    â€œIt was like the floor and the ceiling and the walls were moving, not me. They bounced around in front of me faster than I could even think about it. My body always felt like it was two seconds behind what I was seeing and feeling,” Ziggy explained.
    â€œCool!” Jerome said. “Hey Samantha, can I be next?”
    All of the team members got turns on the trainer, grinning with satisfaction when they finished.
    Ziggy asked immediately, “What’s next, Samantha?”
    â€œWe’re going to the One-sixth Gravity Chair trainer—the one that lets you see what it feels like to walk on the moon,” she replied.
    â€œNow that’s what I’m talking about!” Ziggy said eagerly.
    â€œWhat does it feel like when you’re on the moon, Samantha?” Jessica asked. She twirled her hair between her fingers.
    Samantha laughed. “Well, the last time I was there, it was snowing!”
    â€œHuh?” Jessica looked confused.
    â€œShe’s just teasing you, Jessica,” Cubby said. “Only twelve astronauts have actually walked on the moon for real.”
    Samantha touched Jessica on the shoulder. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made light of your question. Cubby’s right. Very few people have walked on the moon. But we do know that the moon’s gravity is one-sixth of the earth’s.”
    â€œThat means that if you weigh sixty pounds on earth, you only weigh ten pounds on the moon. Right?” Rico asked.
    â€œAbsolutely!” Samantha replied.
    â€œAnd if you can jump five inches off the ground here on Earth, you should be able to jump thirtyinches high on the moon,” Cubby added.
    â€œYou could jump over the basket on the moon,” Jerome said dreamily.
    â€œI could make baskets and dunk for days!” Rashawn said, pretending to make a jump shot. “NBA coaches would all want me on their team!”
    â€œYeah, but all your games would have to be on the moon!” Cubby said with a laugh.
    â€œIt’s all good, mon!” Ziggy said as he tried to jump as high as he could on the sidewalk. Jerome, Rico, and Rashawn jumped with him, and the twins and Cubby joined in as well. Leaping and laughing, they headed toward the building where the 1/6th Chair sat waiting for them.
    The ground beneath the chair was uneven and had been designed to look like the surface of the moon, with craters and hills. The chair, suspended above this “moonscape,” waited.
    â€œIt looks like a giant baby’s jumper toy—you know, those things on springs they use to exercise little kids,” Rashawn said.
    This time, Rico was the first to try the equipment.Samantha strapped him in and then showed him how to walk, bounce, and jump with what felt like very little gravity. He grinned, leaped, and stretched his arms wide while the others cheered. “I feel like I can fly!” Rico said. “This is glorious.”
    â€œThis skill