NPR

Young Astronaut Hopeful Gets NASA Tour Of His (Space) Dreams

Murad Rahimov got to see the inner workings of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center after an NPR listener learned of his passion for space.
Source: Melissa Block

Sixteen-year-old Murad Rahimov peered down into a gigantic space he had only dreamed about before: the world's largest clean room, kept scrupulously free of any dust or contamination, where NASA assembles and tests spacecraft before launch.

Murad's eyes gleamed and a smile played on his face as he took it all in — the scientists encased in sterile white suits; the replica of the massive new space telescope, the most powerful ever built, that will study the first galaxies born after the Big Bang.

Murad is obsessed with space. He has been ever since he was

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Amid Concerns About Kids And Guns, Some Say Training Is The Answer
The number of U.S. children dying from gunshot wounds has climbed in recent years. Keeping guns out of reach is one way to curb the trend — others argue to teach kids to handle guns responsibly.
NPR5 min readAmerican Government
Poland's President Visits Donald Trump As Allies Eye A Possible Return
Former President Donald Trump met Wednesday with Polish President Andrzej Duda, the latest in a series of meetings with foreign leaders as they brace for the possibility of a second Trump term.
NPR4 min readDiscrimination & Race Relations
Why London's Muslim Mayor Needs The Same Security As The King
London Mayor Sadiq Khan talks to NPR about being a Muslim politician in Britain — and his fears around a second possible Donald Trump presidency.

Related Books & Audiobooks