! written by u/Postal_Dude1126 on 2013-05-08

In retrospect, I have no idea why I volunteered for this program. The idea is madness-let a random guy build a spaceship!? WHY!?!?!?!?!? I guess it's at least partially my own fault. I did say “yes” when they asked me. Not like life in the Kerbin Air Force was all that exciting anyway.

I've seen the results of some of these launches; or heard of them at least. Technological contraptions of carnage and despair. How am I supposed to tell Thormmick's wife she'll never see him again because some egghead overestimated the amount of fuel and thrust needed to get him to the Mun, and now he's lost in deep space? Then there was Zach whose rocket just flew apart and exploded on the pad when the launch stability enhancers failed to release. Even I barely made it out alive when the rocket I was on broke apart because the staging was out of order! Only Control's quick thinking and a generous number of parachutes on my command pod kept me and Jeb alive! Speaking of Jeb…

I think that guy's got a screw or dozen loose. Our whole way up he was smiling and laughing-even when the rocket pitched 90 degrees in less than a second! I think he's either insane and or that nurse he's sleeping with is giving him something strong to keep him happy.

I hope my next flight in that monstrosity on the runway goes better than Phil's flight did. I don't want to end up as a smear on a mountain 10,000 kilometers away any more than I bet he did. The dreaded words have been spoken over the intercom-“Bill Kerbin, report to the spaceplane staging area.”

CRIPES I hope I make it…