Major Tom

Major Tom's Space Journal – Entry 1 (January 6th)

My name is Major Thomas Howlett from the USA Air Force, I'm an engineer, 35 years old, and I'm going to space. This is my personal Journal, voice-recorded, to document every aspect of my journey. The past two years at NASA have been great, I've learned a lot and pushed myself beyond the limits I thought I had. It’s a very exciting day for me and for the nation as a whole, since this is the first in a series of programmed missions to establish the human colony on Mars. My job is to reactivate the link with an old Russian satellite that has gone cold while orbiting the Red Planet. Should be simple enough.

Major Tom's Space Journal – Entry 2  (January 6th)

After two whole years of training, you'd think one would get used to these tiny capsules, but, man, these things are fucking uncomfortable as hell. At least I have a nice A/C and my music to entertain me, and the capsule is just so I can leave the ship. But since I'll be spending most of my time on it, I think I'll just have to accept that. Ground Control just made the first contact, telling me to take the protein pills and put on my helmet, and now the countdown begins. In 10 seconds, I'll be in space. Glad I'm wearing my lucky Pink Floyd T-shirt. Ironically enough, The Dark Side Of The Moon isn't where I'm going to be.

Major Tom's Space Journal – Entry 3 (January 7th)

After one day floating in this tin can, I'm feeling anxious about my mission. It's a simple enough task, I know, but if life has taught me anything, it was to always expect the unexpected. Maybe the Russian satellite just needs some new fuses or a software update. But maybe something else has happened to it. I'll find out when I get there.

Major Tom's Space Journal – Entry 4 (January 7th)

Definitely the worst part about this mission is the astronaut food. I miss home, I miss my barbecues and my burgers and steaks and fries. But what I miss the most is ice cream. I miss that creamy cold feeling in my mouth and throat, I miss biting into a popsicle and feeling my teeth cringe, I miss taking a piece of ice cream cone and dipping it in chocolate fudge. I can't wait to taste that again, but right now, there's nothing I can do. Looking down to the Earth, I can see that it is really blue, and it's fucking beautiful!

Major Tom's Space Journal – Entry 5 (January 8th)

It's been two days since I've left the Earth, and the journey has been peaceful so far. I'm about to reach the satellite I'm supposed to reactivate, and I'm starting to get anxious to get back home to my wife and our cat Ziggy. I didn't really like the name at first, but now I can't imagine him being called anything else, and he's such a peaceful and lovely friend. Sometimes I listen to recordings of when he was just a baby Kitty and I tear up remembering. Oh, God, look at me, a respected official on a space mission crying over a cat. What a buttery heart. Get your shit together, Tom, you have a satellite to fix!

Major Tom's Space Journal – Entry 6 (January 8th)

Ground control just contacted me, I've made the grade and it's time to leave my capsule. I have butterflies in my stomach, it's my first time ever in outer space and I have absolutely no idea how this will feel. I'm stepping through the door now, starting to float away. My tether is safe and tight, everything seems alright. I'm reaching the satellite now. The first contact is more like a reconnaissance trip, so I can analyze it and find out what's wrong. The satellite is pretty beat up, maybe it hit some space debris in its path. Repairs won't be easy and the mission will probably take longer than expected.

Major Tom's Space Journal – Entry 7 (January 9th)

Yesterday was hard. After surveying the entirety of the satellite, I discovered multiple points of impact. At first I thought it could have hit some space debris, but I didn't find anything around it and my spaceship sensors haven't detected any as well. I'm contacting Ground Control now to pass on my discoveries and receive instructions on how to proceed. I was looking out of my capsule and thought I saw something moving out there. Must be my imagination.

Major Tom's Space Journal – Entry 8 (January 10th)

Ground Control instructed me to try and repair what I can in the satellite. From what I could see, the damages aren't as bad as they seem, although they were enough to make the satellite go offline. But everything will work out fine, I have practiced with lots of replicas down on Earth, I'm prepared for this. I don't even know how long this will take, but here's hoping it will be okay. Also, today I definitely saw something moving out there. Looked like an asteroid. Now I'm floating around the capsule in the most peculiar way, looking at the stars sideways.

Major Tom's Space Journal – Entry 12 (January 12th)

After four days of repairs, things are proving more difficult than expected. Some of the impact points damaged the satellite's communication port, one of its dishes is completely gone and the outer cover has several cracks and holes. I am now positive the impact points are consistent with asteroids, which is puzzling me, because NASA hasn't documented any asteroid belts or showers in this particular orbital path. That is extremely odd. I'm going back out there to try and continue my work. The stars look very different today, but I don't know why.

Major Tom's Space Journal – Entry 13 (January 13th)

I'm feeling very still. I can't see the satellite anymore. I can't see Mars. I can't see the Sun. I can't see my spaceship, but I think it knows which way to go. All I can see is space. Dark, cold space. Yesterday the stars looked different. That's because they weren't stars, they were an undiscovered, uncharted asteroid cluster that got caught in the same orbital path as the satellite I was working on. When I realized that, it was already too late. The first one hit my hand, made the tool I was holding float away from me. The second one hit the satellite and it started spinning around, towards my ship. I tried reaching it, but before I could, the third one hit the ship and made me spin around. I didn't even see the fourth one, but I felt when it ripped apart my tether and sent me drifting into space. I don't have much oxygen left, so I'm gonna stop talking now. Molly, my sweetheart, my soulmate, I know you already know this, but I just wanna tell you I love you very much. Say hello to Ziggy for me. There's nothing I can do now. This is Major Tom to Ground Control saying farewell, and may God's love be with you all.

And this was the last message recovered from that spaceship's log when it made the automated reentry in our atmosphere. The nation mourns the loss of Thomas Arthur Howlett, a young and loving husband who bravely went on a seemingly simple and otherwise safe mission. NASA has released a statement saying Major Tom's communications circuit went offline shortly after his last message, and the space journal was to be made public in loving memory of this national hero. His family will be taken care of, but no amount of money can repair this terrible tragedy. The United States government announced today that the Mars Occupation will be suspended indefinitely, in lieu of the recently discovered asteroid cluster around the Red Planet. Our space program took a very hard hit with Major Tom's death and we hope we can get back on our feet soon. This is David Robert Jones, from BBC Radio USA, giving you morning news. And now, sports (…)