Here’s an excerpt from my writing journal, about space exploration:

“T minus 3 minutes”

The terminal stations each had their man, or woman. Behind, stood co-workers and managers. In the nearby auditorium were the mucketey-mucks, family, and friends.

Far away at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, scientists, project managers, and operations crew hung on every word.
In Florida, those involved with the space launch were doing their last-minute checks.

Scattered across the country, and world, scientists nervous with anticipation were waiting.

There was a lot riding on this rocket, literally.

NASA contracts for space exploration aren’t a lucrative business. Most companies bid on these contracts for the glory – well, the advertising. They certainly aren’t the bread-and-butter for most companies.

But the employees, though – those are usually ones committed deeply to space exploration.

They deal with the long hours, the working conditions, and the handicaps thrifty budget contracts give them.