My Mother Is an Astronaut

by Julie Fritz

Description About The Book The book, "My Mother Is an Astronaut", was inspired by the unexpected opportunity I had to observe the children of astronauts as they waited for their parents to depart for the launch pad on launch day. It was very exciting for me because it was the first time I was able to watch a Space Shuttle launch from Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. I observed the Space Shuttle crewmembers board the Astronaut Transport Vehicle through a second floor window in the hallway that connected the astronaut's living quarters to the general population of the building that I was working in. There were children sitting on the windowsill. I was told the children were watching their parents depart for the next Space Shuttle mission. It was the seriousness of their conversations and the excitement in their voices that inspired me to write this story. When the Space Shuttle returned to KSC. I was able to observe the children's reactions when they saw their parents emerge from the ATV. One of the little girls started jumping up and down and waving as the ATV pulled into the parking lot. She started screaming when she saw them open the door to the ATV. A female astronaut looked up toward the windows on the second floor. Then the little girl pressed her face against the glass. The moment their eyes met, pure joy washed over both of them. I assumed the astronaut was her mother. As a mother it touched my heart so deeply that I almost cried. Then a uniformed Air Force Officer took the children by the hand and escorted them back to their quarters to be reunited with their parents.