Chapter One: Fred and Chloe Go to Space

Fred sat in a field looking up into the sky with his dog Chloe, a white golden doodle, laying next to him. It was not an unusual scene – many boys sit with their dogs peering at the sky daydreaming. But Fred was not daydreaming. He was going through the detailed plans in his head for the rocket ship he had almost finished. He hoped to leave Earth by his 5th birthday, which was only a few weeks away.

After dinner, Fred and his dad looked at a map of the solar system to help him decide where to go first. Fred really wanted to go to Jupiter. It is, after all, the biggest and coolest planet in the solar system. But Fred’s dad thought it would be better to start with Mars because it was so close and the United States had already had 2 successful robot missions. So Mars it was!

On May 29, Fred turned 5 years old. The sky was clear and the wind was calm. It was the perfect day to launch into space. Together, he and Chloe carefully checked their flight plans and made sure they had enough snacks to last them for at least a few weeks and a working radio for regular parent check-ins. They were ready!

At exactly 11:42 A.M., Fred and Chloe lifted off into space. With a great blast of their rocket boosters they moved quickly toward the blue sky, waiving excitedly to mom and dad. The voyage had begun and Mars was the first stop of many in the adventures of Fred and Chloe.

Written By Jodi Pereira and Lucas Pereira