STS-107

by Zephyr Goza (age 12)

January 16, 2003

"You're getting the hang of it." Jason says, tossing me the black-butter Myachi ®. I catch it on my webbed hand and toss if back. A Myachi ® is a small hand sack, similar to a hacky-sack, except it's a rectangle shape. It comes in many different colors, or "flavors".

Jason, Sebastian, my parents, and myself (the only kid) stand in the hot sand of the Florida beach tossing Myachis. Then everyone points behind me. I see that they are looking at the Kennedy Space Center about ten miles away. Squinting, I see the trail of smoke coming up out of the Space Center. There is a small ball of flame and what looks like a missile leading it. We stare in amazement as the shuttle goes higher. Not in a straight line, but curving by a few degrees this way and that.

Eight minutes later, it broke into two pieces. Looking through the binoculars, I see the separation of what I would later learn was the orbiter and the external tank.

Columbia at liftoff

NINE DAYS LATER. . .

"Okay," says the instructor. "T minus zero minutes: lift off." The scouts write it down.

I am at the Kennedy Space Center, and today is NASA's Salute to Boy Scouts. And it's been a busy day. I have met astronaut Charlie Walker. I have seen a presentation about the future of NASA. I have been to the rocket garden. I made a pair of 3D glasses. And now I'm sitting here, earning a merit badge.

"Two minutes after lift-off, the solid rocket boosters separate. So we have SRB separation." He allows a pause as I scribble: T-2 minutes: SRB separation. He waits until everything is quiet again. "Eight and a half minutes after lift-off , the large external tank drops off and breaks up over the ocean. T minus eight minutes: ET separation. ET drop off. ET not phone home."

Two hours later, I put the finishing touches on my model rocket. It is made out of blue paper with yellow fins. I step up to the bicycle pump launch pad. My nose cone blows off. My nose cone blows off and the rocket sits there. After a quick redesign, my second launch is successful.

One week later . . .

Everything is black. "20 . . . 19 . . . 18 . . .17 . . .16 . . .15 . . .14 . . .13 . . .12 . . .11 . . .10 . . .9 . . .8 . . .7 . . .6 . . .5 . . .4 . . .3 . . .2 . . .1 . . ." She takes her hands off my eyes. In front of me is Anime (Japanese Animation) Hut. So this is what mom meant by surprise. I run to the side and start picking up "Ranma ½" DVDs. Then dad calls me over to look at the news. The Columbia is breaking up in the atmosphere. It spreads across Texas. There are no survivors.