™

R E A L K I D S • R E A L P L A C E SAMERICA’S NATIONAL MYSTERY BOOK SERIES

TM

C A R O L E M A R S H

The

Mission Possible

Mystery

at

SpaceCenterHouston

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Copyright ©2009 Carole Marsh/Gallopade International/Peachtree City, GAAll rights reserved.First EditionEbook edition Copyright ©2011

Carole Marsh Mysteries™ and its skull colophon are the property of Carole Marsh andGallopade International.

Published by Gallopade International/Carole Marsh Books. Printed in the United Statesof America.

Managing Editor: Sherry MossSenior Editor: Aimee HoldenAssistant Editor: Susan WalworthCover Design: Vicki DeJoyCover Photo Credits: NASAPicture Credits: Vicki DeJoyContent Design and Illustrations: Lisa Stanley

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ChristinaYotherAge 10

GrantYotherAge 7

JunkoMinariAge 10

PhillipSmithAge 8

about the characters

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Christina tried to wiggle, but the seat beltheld her tighter than her grandmother’s hugs.Instead, she focused on the colorful blinkinglights of the console before her.

“There’s no backing out now,” she mumbled.Biting the corner of her lip, she feared that thistime her curiosity had gotten her in over her head.

A deep voice startled her. “TEN. NINE.EIGHT. SEVEN. WE HAVE A GO FOR MAINENGINE START…”

Colossal engines roared to life andChristina’s fingertips dug into the arms of herseat as it began to vibrate.

“SIX. FIVE. FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE.ZERO. WE HAVE BOOSTER IGNITION ANDLIFTOFF OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE EXPLORER!”

Countdown

confusion

1

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The shuttle broke free from the launch padlike a wild bull breaking out of a rodeo chute.And Christina was its rider! Every bone in herbody sh-sh-shook and her teeth ch-ch-chattered.

“HOUSTON NOW CONTROLLING THEFLIGHT OF SPACE SHUTTLE EXPLORER…”the voice said. “WE HAVE NEW RESIDENTSHEADED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SPACESTATION…”

Christina had always wondered howastronauts felt when they launched into spacefor the first time. Now she knew. It was scary,but exciting!

She tried to turn her head to see how heryounger brother Grant and her grandparentsMimi and Papa were handling their own fear andexcitement, but the powerful force of shootinginto space kept her pinned firmly to her seat.Her cheeks felt like pancakes.

Christina had traveled the world with herbrother and grandparents, but she neverdreamed this trip would be so out of this world!

“SHUTTLE COMPLETING ITS ROLLFOR THE EIGHT AND A HALF MINUTE

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RIDE TO ORBIT,” the voice announced asChristina’s stomach

then

“THREE LIQUID FUEL MAIN ENGINES NOWTHROTTLING BACK TO REDUCE THESTRESS ON THE SHUTTLE AS IT BREAKSTHROUGH THE SOUND BARRIER…”

Christina couldn’t believe her ears. She wastraveling faster than sound! Her numb fingersslowly relaxed their grip as the shuttle ridebecame smooth—almost as smooth as cruisingdown the interstate in Mimi’s and Papa’s littlered convertible.

!

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“SHUTTLE, THIS IS HOUSTON, GO ATTHROTTLE UP…” the voice said.

For the first time, Christina heard the shuttlecommander’s reply. “Go at throttle up,” heanswered.

The voice continued, “SHUTTLE ALREADYELEVEN AND A HALF MILES IN ALTITUDE,EIGHT MILES DOWN RANGE FROM THEKENNEDY SPACE CENTER…SHUTTLETRAVELING ALMOST 2,400 MILES PERHOUR…STANDING BY FOR SOLID ROCKETBOOSTER SEPARATION…”

A blinding

filled the windows and the shuttle lurched like a

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car hitting a speed bump as the rocket boostersseparated and fell back to Earth.

The shuttle commander spoke again.“Congratulations! We are at 50 nautical milesand you are now officially astronauts!”

The brilliant blue sky was turning black asnight. The squeezing force slowly released her,and Christina felt her arms get lighter andlighter until they floated.

“The space shuttle is now 214 miles abovethe South Pacific Ocean—next stop,International Space Station,” the shuttlecommander announced.

Suddenly, Christina wondered if the shuttlehad brakes. “Will we slow down in time?” sheworried. “Or will we have a space fender-bender?!”

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“The shuttle isnow traveling17,000 miles perhour. Prepare todock InternationalSpace Station…”the commanderannounced.

Christina braced herselffor an explosive collision. Instead, she heard aloud CLANK and CLICK.

“Docking is complete,” the commander said.“Welcome to the International Space Station,astronauts!”

SWISH!

Missing moon

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Doors flew open. People unbuckled theirseatbelts. A firm tap on her shoulder madeChristina jump.

“Snap out of it!” Papa said. “The simulationride is over.”

Grant pushed past her seat. “That wasawesome!” he said. “Now I understand what asimulation ride is. It makes you feel like you’rereally there!”

The simulation was so real to Christina thatshe found it difficult to return to reality. Shewished she was really on the Space Station.

“Was the simulation as exciting as youimagined it would be?” Mimi asked, wrapping anarm around her starry-eyed granddaughter’strembling shoulders.

“More exciting!” Christina said as they exitedthe Blast Off Theater at Space Center Houston,the official visitor’s center of the Johnson SpaceCenter in Houston, Texas. “I could see myselfbecoming an astronaut!”

“I remember that feeling,” Mimi said.“There was nothing like eating dinner on a TV

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tray and watching snowy pictures of NeilArmstrong take those first steps on the moon.”

Grant looked confused. “I think yourmemory’s bad about the snow,” he said.“There’s no snow on the moon.”

“Of course not,” Mimi replied. “I meant thatthe black and white TV picture wasn’t good so itlooked like snow. Technology wasn’t asadvanced then. We couldn’t get crystal clearpictures from space like we do now.”

Papa helped Mimi with the history lesson.“President John F. Kennedy said in 1961 that hewanted the United States to put a man on themoon by the end of the decade. Neil Armstrongbecame the first human to set foot on the moonafter he and Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo 11there in 1969.”

“Oh!” Christina said excitedly. “Was he theguy who said, ‘One small step for man; one giantleap for mankind?’”

“That’s right, Christina!” Mimi exclaimed.“And don’t forget it was a group of NASAscientists and engineers right here at Johnson

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Space Center who helped those men reach themoon. That’s why they call it the ‘home ofhuman space flight.’”

“What does NASA mean?” Grant asked. “NASA stands for National Aeronautics and

Space Administration,” Christina explained,proud that she knew more than her littlebrother. “Did you want to be an astronaut?” sheasked Mimi.

“No,” Mimi said. “But I was so impressedwith the images of the moon and space that Iwanted to be an astronomer.”

“That’s funny!” Grant said with a giggle.“You wanted to be an astronomer and youbecame a mystery writer.”

“At least I can write about space,” Mimi said.“Who knows? I might write a space mysteryafter this visit!”

Christina’s eyes roamed the cavernous SpaceCenter with all its exhibits and activities. Shedidn’t know what to look at first.

This was a visit Christina and Grant hadanticipated for months. When an old friend,Judy, and her husband, Kent, invited Mimi and

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Papa to visit their Houston ranch, Mimi eagerlyaccepted. There was no way she could opposeher grandkids, who begged to come along andlearn about space exploration.

“You’re out of this world!” Christina jokedwhen Mimi finally said OK.

The always impatient Grant spottedsomething that snatched his attention. “Whatare those rocks doing here?” he asked.

“I’ll bet those are moon rocks!” Papa said,racing Grant to the display.

Grant rubbed his fingers across a piece ofgray rock as rough as the sandpaper in Papa’stoolbox. “I have touched the moon!” he shoutedtriumphantly.

Other rocks reclined like creepy alien lumpsin a long glass case. Attached to holes in theside were black rubber gloves.

“What are those gloves for?” asked Grant. “To take the rocks in and out,” Mimi

answered. “Those rocks are very valuable.”“It says here that only 840 pounds of rocks

have been brought back from the moon,”Christina read.

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“When moon rocks were first brought back toEarth, people were afraid they might containdangerous germs,” said Papa.

“No wonder you need to wear gloves!” Grantsaid, wiping his hands on his pants like theywere crawling with moon cooties. “Gross!”

“Don’t worry,” Mimi said, laughing.“Scientists never found any germs.”

Christina found one rock particularlyinteresting. About the size of a lumpy softball, itwas a lava rock from a volcanic eruption. In 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts collected it nearthe crest of Dune Crater. Somehow, it looked familiar.

“Hey Grant, this looks just like your nose,”she said and laughed. “There’s even a booger coming out!”

““ “

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What are those rocks doing here?

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“Ha, ha,” Grant said, rolling his eyes. “You’revery scientific. I’m going to look at space suits.”

Christina followed Grant into the AstronautGallery where photos of every astronaut who hadflown in space lined the walls. Space movie theme

songs poured from speakersand inspired Grant tobecome Hero Spaceman.With one fist on his hip and

the other aimed for thestars, he shouted, “Toinfinity and beyond!”

Large glass tubesheld spacesuits that stood at attention as

if waiting for theirnext mission. Some

were silver, but mostwere white and puffy.

“They look like marshmallow men!”Christina observed.

“Are there astronauts inside these?” Grantasked, with a puzzled expression.

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It was Christina’s turn to roll her eyes. “Grant,can’t you imagine astronauts have better things todo than stand around on display?” she asked.

“Then why did this one just m-m-move?”Grant asked with a quivering voice.

“You’re just spacey, Grant,” Christina said,moving down the line to admire a suit with agold face shield as shiny as a mirror. Shenoticed her hair sticking up and was about tosmooth it down when the face shield reflected agang of security guards galloping by.

“What’s going on?” she asked a young boystanding beside her.

“Someone said one of the moon rocks hasbeen stolen!” he whispered.

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Grant’s mouth flew open after Christina ranback to tell him about the stolen moon rock.

“I didn’t do it!” he exclaimed. “I was justlooking at the moon rocks—honest!”

“Calm down, Grant!” Christina commanded,flicking her brown hair off her shoulder andscratching the back of her neck. It was an itchshe always got when she sensed a mystery, andthis one was a humdinger.

“I seriously doubt a tourist could steal one ofthe moon rocks,” Christina said thoughtfully. “Acrime like that would have to be an inside job.”

“Duh,” Grant said. “Does it look like we’re outside?”

“No,” Christina said. “I mean that someonewho works here probably had something to dowith the crime since there’s so much security.”

suitable suspect

3

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“Maybe the thief was hiding in the spacesuitI saw move,” Grant suggested.

Christina didn’t want to admit the possibilitythat they could have been standing next to adangerous crook. But her neck was awfully itchy.

The boy Christina had talked to hadwandered close and was eavesdropping on theirconversation.

Grant looked at him suspiciously. “Do youwork here?” he asked.

“Nope,” the boy answered. “Whew!” Grant exclaimed, wiping sweat from

his forehead. “I was afraid you might be therock thief.”

“I’m Phillip,” he said. “I’m going to be anastronaut!”

“You mean when you grow up?” Grant asked. “No,” he replied. “Tomorrow. I’m coming to

space camp while my mother attends aconference.”

“Do you think Mimi and Papa would let us goto space camp too, Christina?” Grant asked.

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“What better way to solve a moon rockmystery?” Christina said. “We’ll try andconvince them on the way to the ranch.”

“Great!” Phillip said.

Christina yelped,and jumped when Mimi

grabbed her from behind. Thethought of a crook creeping around the placehad her nerves on edge.

“Come quick!” Mimi said, waving franticallyfor them to follow her to a helmet display.“You’ve got to see this!”

Papa was forcing a clear, bubble-shapedhelmet over his gray hair. Christina laughed atthe sight of her tall grandfather in his leathervest and cowboy boots wearing a space helmet.“You look like a space cowboy!” she exclaimed.

“You kids ready to blast off to anotherdisplay?” Papa asked. Through the helmet, hisdeep voice sounded like Darth Vader.

“ ”

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“Hope to see you tomorrow!” Christina andGrant said, waving goodbye to Phillip. Whenthey passed the moon rock display, Christinawas shocked to see which one was missing. Itwas Grant’s nose rock!

“Why that one?” Christina muttered toherself as something else caught her eye. Acrumpled piece of yellow paper looked out ofplace on the shiny floor. She picked it up, butbefore she could unfold it, a man in a bluejumpsuit breezed by.

“I’ll take that!” he said cheerfully. “Thank you,” Christina replied politely,

thinking he must be a custodian. But she reallyhadn’t wanted to part with the paper since itcould be a clue! Maybe that’s why she had

gripped it so tight thata small

piece toreoff when

s h ehanded it

over.

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When she opened her hand, Christina saw theword PLANET scribbled on the jagged yellowsquare stuck to her thumb.

www.carolemarshmysteries.comwww.gallopade.com

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WORDS TO KNOW

Read ‘em all!

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ISBN: 978-0-635-06827-9

The Mystery of...Alamo Ghost

Biltmore HouseBlackbeard the Pirate

California Mission TrailCape Cod

Chocolate TownCounterfeit Constitution

Death ValleyDevils Tower

Disney WorldFort Sumter

Freedom TrailGold Rush

Golden Gate BridgeGrand Canyon

Graveyard of the AtlanticGreat Lakes

Haunted Ghost TownHawaii

Hoover DamIditarod Trail

JamestownKentucky Derby

Kill Devil HillsLiberty BellLost Colony

Missing DinosaurMount Rushmore

Mount VernonNew York City

Niagara FallsOregon Trail

Rocky MountainsSmoky Mountains

Space Center HoustonSt. Louis Arch

Underground RailroadWhite House Christmas

WilliamsburgYellowstone National Park

and more!

T

Blast o� to Houston withChristina and Grant as theytry to �nd out whathappened to a valuablemoon rock! Along the way,they learn about the spaceprogram, �re a rocket, andtake a wild ride on a moonrover! Buckle your seatbelts!