The Astronaut Who Missed Home
Aboard the space station, astronaut Omar learns what makes Earth so special.
Astronaut Omar floated by the big round window of the International Space Station. Below him, Earth spun slowly, blue and white and green.
He had been in space for three months. The space station zoomed around the Earth about 16 times every day, which meant he saw 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets. It was amazing.
But tonight, Omar felt homesick. He missed his daughter, Noor. He missed the smell of rain. He even missed gravity — here, his toothbrush floated away if he didn't hold it!
He opened a video message from Noor. "Baba! Can you see our house from space?"
Omar laughed and looked out the window. He couldn't see his house, of course. But he could see so much more.
He saw the long curve of the Nile River glowing in the sunlight. He saw white swirls of clouds spinning over the ocean. He saw the thin blue line of the atmosphere — the blanket of air that keeps every living thing on Earth safe.
When the station passed into night, he saw cities twinkling like jewels. Somewhere down there, Noor was sleeping.
Omar recorded a message back. "Noor, from up here, I can't see any borders between countries. It all looks like one home. Everybody on Earth is my neighbor."
"The air is so thin, like a soap bubble. We have to take good care of it — and of each other."
Three months later, Omar's capsule splashed down in the ocean. When he stepped outside, it was raining. He tipped his face up to the sky and smiled.
Then he hugged Noor for a very long time. "I saw the whole world," he told her. "And the best part of it is right here."
⭐ The End ⭐
💬 Talk about it
- How many sunrises does the space station see each day?
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About 16. - What is the thin blue line around Earth?
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The atmosphere — the layer of air that protects life. - What did Omar realize when looking down at Earth?
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It all looks like one home, and everyone is a neighbor.
