There was an engineer who specialized in designing spacecraft. It was his job to meet specifications specified by NASA. He was involved in the design of the space shuttle, a spaceship specifically designed to be spared and reused. One of the requirements was that the space shuttle was to be spacious enough to do experiments inside, yet material was to be used sparingly so as not to weigh it down. One of the experiments to be performed was that of the spawning of a bird in the weightlessness of space. The specimen used the first time was that of a sparrow. In the future, NASA would specify what species other than birds would follow.

On the day of the lift-off, many spectators gathered to watch the spectacle. As the engineer stood there and saw the great span of the space shuttle, his heart was filled with pride. As the flag was being raised, the band started playing the Star Spangled Banner, the national anthem. Then a spark came from the bottom of the rocket boosters, and a great explosion of flames emitted. The scene was spectacular. The shuttle lifted off the launch pad and headed for the sky. All the while, the engineer was choking with tears. The crowd watched the shuttle ascend until it was just a speck. One of the onlookers said, "Spanking good show." The engineer continued watching the heavens as the crowd became sparse. When everyone had gone, he went home, too.