Space Stories for 4th and 5th Grade Readers

Alex and his crew mate Jan were set for launch day. The space ship sat on the pad, tall and bright in the morning light. Alex checked the flight plan one last time. "All set," he said to Jan. She gave a nod. The count went down. Three, two, one. The ship shot up with a huge push. Alex felt the force press him back in his seat. The dark sky came fast. Stars came into sight. "Look at that," Jan said, pointing at the moon. It was close now, a big gray ball with marks all over its surface. Alex steered the ship into a smooth path around it. They floated past the bright side and then the dark side. Jan took notes the whole time. When they turned back for home, the sun lit up the ship in gold. Alex smiled. It had been the best flight of his life.

Alex had trained for this mission for three long years. She sat in the ship with her crew mate Lee. The launch was smooth. The ship broke free of the clouds and shot into the dark. Alex looked out. The world below got smaller and smaller. "We are really up here," she said. Lee checked the controls. Their mission was to land on the moon and bring back rock samples. The ship came down on the moon surface with a soft bump. Alex put on her suit and helmet and stepped out. The ground was gray and dusty. She picked up a small rock and held it up to the light. It had tiny bright bits in it. Lee came out next. They walked side by side, leaving tracks in the dust. Alex set up a flag. "This is for everyone back home," she said. They spent two days on the surface before the ship took them back to the world below.

Alex was the youngest crew member on the space ship. She was only twelve, but she had earned her spot. Her crew mate Max showed her the flight deck. "This is where we steer," he said. Alex sat in the seat and gripped the controls. The stars were bright outside the glass. Their mission was to reach a far off moon that no one had seen up close. The ship flew fast through the dark. Alex watched the star maps on the screen. After three days, the moon came into sight. It was small and blue. "It has water on the surface," Alex said. Max smiled. "Good catch." They flew low over the blue moon. Alex saw waves and what looked like land. She took notes and made a sketch in her log book. When they got back home, Alex showed her sketch to the rest of the crew. Everyone was in awe. Alex had found something new in the sky.