CHAPTER 4
"The course is to Luna and return! Spaceman's luck."
Captain Strong's voice rasped out over the public address system as a lone spaceship stood poised on the starting ramp, her ports closed, her crew making last-minute preparations. Ringing the huge spaceport, crews from other ships paused in their work to watch the first vessel make the dash around the Moon in a frantic race against the astral chronometer. In the temporary grandstands at the north end of the field, thousands of spectators from cities all over Earth leaned forward, hushed and expectant.
"Are you ready Star Lady?" Strong called, his voice echoing over the field.
A light flashed from the viewport of the ship.
"Stand by to raise ship!" roared Strong. "Blast off, minus five, four, three, two, one—zero!"
There was a sudden, ear-shattering roar and smoke and flame poured from the exhaust of the ship, spilling over the blast-off ramp. The ship rocked from side to side gently, rose into the air slowly, and then gathering speed began to move spaceward. In a moment it was gone and only the echoing blasts of thunder from its exhausts remained.
"There goes number one," said Tom to his unit mates as they watched from a vantage point near one of the service hangars.