Free The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story by Lily Koppel

front porch and taped a message to the door: THERE WILL BE NO REPORTERS IN THE HOUSE . I WILL HAVE A STATEMENT FOR THE PRESS AFTER THE FLIGHT . All night long she heard reporters creeping across her porch reading the note. In the special astronaut quarters in Hangar S at the Cape, Alan awoke at 1:10 in the morning and sat down for his special “low residue” launch breakfast, which had been specifically designed by the NASA doctors to ensure no bowel movements in space. Amazingly, it included bacon-wrapped filet mignon, scrambled eggs, OJ, and coffee, sans milk.
    In the morning it was little Alice who woke up first. It happened to be her tenth birthday, but Louise had decided to postpone the party and dolls and tea sets until the following day. After all, Louise’s two little girls still had no idea Alan was going into space. Alice crept downstairs and drew back a corner of the pink homemade curtains. Lo and behold, a carnival had landed in her front yard, only it was a frightening kind of carnival because there were policemen with shiny badges and guns and German shepherds sniffing in Mommy’s pretty flowerbeds around the house. Alice worried the police had come to take Louise away, and she ran upstairs, where Julie was asleep in their shared bedroom. “Julie, Julie, wake up! Mommy must have done something really bad!”
    Together they went into Louise’s room to tell her the terrible news. Louise was getting dressed. She said very calmly, “Now, girls, your father is going up in a Redstone rocket into space today.” Then she led Julie and Alice downstairs, where Louise’s parents, who had come to keep her company for the launch, were already making breakfast. Grandparents, mother, and daughters sat at the dining room table and held hands in a group prayer. The Life photographer had his perfect family portrait.
    After breakfast, they all got ready to watch Alan blast off on the black-and-white TV. In only fifteen minutes, he would fly in a parabola 116 miles above the Earth into “outer space” and back. Louise sat in a chair holding a little all-weather transistor radio. She was concentrating deeply, repeating over and over in her mind, “Alan will be in the right place at the right time. Everything will be A-OK. ”
    Her belief in the trinity of America, NASA, and the Shepards, all operating under a heavenly umbrella, was unshakable.
    As planned, Alan fell safely back to Earth fifteen minutes after he’d blasted off, dropping in his capsule into the Atlantic. After NASA called Louise to tell her that Alan was safely aboard the USS Champlain , a Navy jet flew over her house making an S in its contrail. Louise stepped out of her house, pink sweater draped around her slight shoulders, and met the press, kicking off another new Astrowife ritual—the post-flight press conference on the lawn. Though still not thrilled that their own husbands hadn’t been picked to go up first, the other wives did have to admit Louise made a wonderful First Lady of Space.

Jackie
    P inch me, please . Louise was on cloud nine during the ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House. “Ladies and gentlemen,” said President Kennedy, “I want to express on behalf of us all the great pleasure we have in welcoming Commander Shepard and Mrs. Shepard here today.” Alan winked at Louise. While Kennedy continued talking, Louise watched Jackie standing by his side, like something conjured up in a dream. When the NASA Distinguished Service Medal slipped out of the president’s hand and clattered onto the felt-covered stage, Jack picked it up and handed it to Alan, but Jackie had a better suggestion for her husband, telling him, “Jack, pin it on him.”
    Jacqueline, who pronounced her name Jackleen , in the French style, was a breath of fresh air after Mamie. What could be more perfect than the Kennedy White House with its resident queen? Jackie was not model thin, but her dress, one of many specially designed for her by the best