Shooting for the Moon

Bentley Basset Hound: “This weekend marks the 50^th anniversary of Apollo 11, the first spaceflight to land humans on the Moon. We are proud of the part Houston played in the mission. It seemed only fitting that I pay tribute to this historical event by becoming the first dog to set paw on the Moon. We have been doing some adjustments on my Hound Dog #7 Rocket pack and I think we are ready.”

Pierre Westie: “According to my extensive research, it looks like once you blast off; you keep going straight for the first 175,000 miles. Then, you’ll need to veer to the left just a bit. By that time, you should be able to see your target. The moon is pretty huge and there’s an American flag sticking up, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Those last 63,900 miles should be a breeze. Here, I drew you a map.”

Bentley: “Thanks, dude. Do you think Mom and Dad will notice that I’m gone? I should be back before supper, right? You know how grumpy I can get without my food. There isn’t room in my suit for a bag of treats, much less my dinner bowl. In space, nobody will hear me whining.”

Pierre: “Ummm…Well, it took Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin four days, six hours, and forty-five minutes. Of course, I’m sure they flew faster than your Hound Dog #7 Rocket Pack will fly. I’d guesstimate that it’ll take you at least a week.”

Bentley: “Houston, we have a problem.  There is no way that I can be gone for so long without Mom and Dad noticing.  Not to mention, starvation sets in on a Basset Hound when our food is even ten minutes late!  We are gonna have to rethink this trip.”

Pierre: “Yeah, I can cover for you being gone a couple of hours.  A couple of weeks is going to be a little tricky. What if you just orbit the city? I mean, you could zoom over the Space Center for their big 50th-anniversary celebration! They might even offer you a job as an astronaut. It’s not very far from us so that won’t take too long and you’ll be back before dinner. Let me draw up another map while you suit up and prepare for take-off.”

Bentley: “Roger that!  I’ll meet you at the launch site.”

Pierre: “Here are the directions for you.  Go ahead and peruse it in case you have any questions. I’ll be in Mission Control checking the coordinates. When you’re ready, I’ll perform a safety check on your rocket pack.  Do you have all four of your landing gears tied and buckled? This is going to be spectacular!”

Bentley: “Okay, let’s get this blast-off on the road…uh, in the air!”

Pierre: “Mission Control to Rocket Hound Bentley; all systems go!  Prepare for lift-off! Five, four, three, two, one! Lift Off!!”