I first posted this story in 2014 as an homage to the early NASA space program, but given it's the 50th anniversary of the first men landing on the moon, I thought it a good story to repost.  It involves a certain blond Russian who becomes an unwilling participant in the NASA program.

“This is Houston, what is your status Mercury 10?”

Static filled air in the command center for several minutes.

“I say again this is Capcom calling Mercury 10, what is your status, Brotherhood 7?”

“This is (cough) Illya Kuryakin; I inadvertently became locked inside the capsule while trying to subdue an impostor who was planning to blow up...well, sabotage your mission.”

In the struggle that ensued Illya killed the saboteur, however, the door to the capsule closed on him, and was locked by the ground crew, not knowing what had taken place inside.

It was too late as the ignition sequence had begin. Illya, quickly thinking, stripped the dead man of his space suit and buckled himself in place as the Atlas rocket ignited and took off, sending them hurtling into the stratosphere.

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