That's completely normal. Rocketry and especially parabolas feature prominently as themes in the book, and the structure of the narrative itself is part of that

That's completely normal. Rocketry and especially parabolas feature prominently as themes in the book, and the structure of the narrative itself is part of that. The beginning is chaotic, and I think even the fact that many readers will give up on it or require several attempts to get a successful launch, as it were, is intended.