Read Online Astrotwins — Project Blastoff by Mark Kelly - Free Book Online

most important the very first thing the twins had put on their list: metal. What they were hoping for was lightweight titanium for the interior and heat-resistant nickel alloy for the outer shell. Those were the materials NASA had used for the Mercury capsules.
    â€œMaybe we should start with the interior instead,” Egg suggested. It was the following morning, and she was on the telephone with Mark. “Like, we need an instrument panel and a seat and seat belts, too. With no seat belt, the astronauts will float away.”
    Mark noticed she’d said “astronauts,” plural. Unlike the twins, she seemed to think everyone who wanted to could still get a ride on the spaceship. Mark didn’t want to argue. It was better if all of them were eager to work, and maybe they wouldn’t be so eager if they realized he was the only one who would get to go up in space.
    â€œGrandpa probably has an old tractor seat, but no seat belts and nothing like an instrument panel,” he said.
    â€œWhat about if we use a dashboard from a car?” Egg said. “Oh—and we can use a speedometer, too. In a car it measures speed by how fast the axle is rotating. Spacecraft don’t have axles, but maybe there’s a way to hook the speedometer to the guidance system to get the data, then recalibrate the numbers.”
    Mark mouthed the word “recalibrate,” then tilted his head so Barry would know it was a question. Barry answered in a whisper, “It means to adjust to a different kind of measurement.”
    Mark nodded, then said into the phone, “Sounds good, Egg. But where do we get those things?”
    â€œDon’t you worry,” Egg said. “I have an idea. Howard and I will see you this afternoon.”
    *  *  *
    Grandpa had been right about the state of the workshop, and the boys spent the morning cleaning. “This is not exactly what I pictured when we thought up the ideaof building a spaceship,” said Mark, who was high on a ladder, knocking down cobwebs with a broom.
    Scott, kneeling to corral dust and other crud in a dustpan, protested. “ Hey! Watch where you knock down those spiders, wouldja? I think I’ve got a creepy-crawly in my hair!”
    â€œMaybe he’ll comb it for you, for once,” Mark said.
    â€œLook out below!” Barry cried, jumping from the top of the stepladder he’d been using to dust shelves. A moment later the hinges on the human-size barn door squealed and a girl’s voice called, “Hello-o-o-o?” Then, “Yikes, it’s like magical in here!”
    â€œDo you think so?” Scott looked around. It was definitely a lot cleaner than it had been the previous evening, and the sunbeams that filtered through the walls seemed more jolly than eerie. Also, the bats were gone, or possibly asleep and out of sight.
    â€œCome and help us unload,” Egg said.
    Parked outside was a blue commercial truck labeled NANDO’S AUTO REPAIR . A man was handing a car’s old bench seat to Howard, who didn’t look so sure about receiving it. Mark hurried to help him.
    It was another hot day, and the man wiped sweat from his brow, then stood up straight and grinned. Egg opened her mouth to make introductions, but he spoke first. “I am Nando Perez, owner of Nando’s AutoRepair. And you are?”
    Mark, Scott, and Barry introduced themselves. “This is really nice of you,” Mark said.
    â€œ De nada —don’t mention it,” said Nando. “My company is one of the sponsors of the science fair. This looks like a very ambitious project! I can’t wait to find out what it is you’re building.”
    Now the truck’s passenger door opened, and Lisa, the girl they had seen yesterday, jumped out.
    â€œMeet Lisa, everybody,” Egg said. “She’s going to help us, too.”
    Scott and Mark looked at one another, both thinking the same thing: Who said it was