Space Station Crisis: Star Challengers Book 2 by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, June Scobee Rodgers

a hand against his stomach.
    “I bet Tony can,” Dyl said. “He’s a whiz at video games, can operate all kinds of complicated joysticks and hand controls—and he even studies robotics. He won a science fair project by building and controlling his own robot.”
    Rodgers did not look convinced, but stared again at his shaking hands. “I can train him from here, if Dr. Romero lets me use one of the screens. We may as well give Cadet Vasquez a shot. Let’s see what he can do.”
    When JJ and King pulled their way into the equipment module to go over the satellite checklist, Mira had already started without them. “I was wondering when you would get here.” The other girl sounded impatient. “Stationmaster Ansari gave me clearance to begin the prep.”
    “We’re due to launch in two hours,” King said. “That should be plenty of time to check and double-check all systems. No mistakes this time.”
    “No, no mistakes.” Mira looked as if she wanted to say more, but kept her words to herself. “I’ve already inspected the propulsion systems and attitude-adjustment thrusters, and I was about to verify the optics.” She made it sound like she didn’t need the other two at all.
    JJ pulled out a datapad that held the checklist. “We should all three go through every one of the systems as a triple-check.”
    “Works for me,” King said.
    The refrigerator-sized satellite hung in the middle of the equipment module, tethered in place. The three floated around it on all sides, moving from top to bottom, and all the way around its diameter. King opened the metal covering of an electronics panel and tested the circuits one by one to make sure all were connected properly and functional.
    JJ ran a self-test on the logic boards and checked the power systems. While she and King occupied themselves with small talk, Mira remained intent on the optical-imaging systems, telescopes, and sensors. She certainly wasn’t overly friendly.
    “We did a mission just like this in the Challenger Center,” King said. “I had to hook up and test the circuits. It’s the same sort of procedure—and I understand it a lot better now that I took that Intro to Electronics class online.”
    “I never thought I’d get my hands on an actual satellite,” JJ said, moving to the next panel. “This is a lot bigger than Sputnik, the first satellite ever launched. That was only about the size of a beach ball.” The Soviet launch of Sputnik in 1957 had caused so much alarm in the U.S. that the event had ignited the space race, with each country striving to outdo the other.
    The Kylarn threat was a similar wakeup call and had launched an altogether different sort of space race, in which all the countries of Earth worked together with a common goal.
    When they each completed their parts of the checklist, they traded duties for the double-check. JJ moved to the optics, King verified the propulsion systems, and Mira checked the electronics and logic boards. After switching again for one final round, the three Cadets gave the satellite a clean bill of health.
    JJ glided to the intercom and transmitted to Central. “Forty-five minutes to spare, Stationmaster. The Eye in the Sky is ready to launch.”
    Since Tony had already tinkered with robotics and had built devices for science fairs, he was fascinated with the ISSC's robot arm, which would help launch the satellite. While JJ, King, and Mira finished the final checklist for the Eye in the Sky, Major Rodgers trained Tony in how to use the system.
    The ISSC had four advanced mechanical arms, jointed and delicate manipulators that could be guided with absolute precision. The intuitive hand controls made the most advanced videogames Tony had ever played seem like cheap little toys.
    One of the articulated arms was connected to the Equipment Module and had specifically been designed to help launch satellites. The plan was to reach in, grasp the Eye in the Sky, lift it carefully out of the open bay, and