Mission To Mars Page #5

to get new motherboards,

drives and software to Mars

as fast as we can.

- Right.

- Slow down, slow down, slow down.

- It's gonna take us weeks

just to analyze this data.

- Right.

But in the meantime, we've

gotta be working up a mission plan.

- Luke needs us now.

- Luke may already be dead.

And even if he's not, it's doubtful he

is going to be able to transmit again.

So... we wouldn't know

whether it's safe to land...

until we were almost there.

What about SI MA?

What about SI MA?

The Saturn imaging probe.

It's gonna slingshot around Mars

on its way through the solar system.

It could be retasked to take pictures,

read radiation levels

of Mars One base camp.

Wait, wait, wait.

We are getting ahead of ourselves.

You're forgetting the bigger problem.

The orbits are all wrong.

Our first decent launch window

is almost eight months from now.

Yes, but we can go earlier

and get there faster...

if we reconfigure the payload

for extra fuel.

- We've modeled that, Ray.

I've modeled it.

- On paper, yes.

But those stresses have

never been tested in space.

- The ship can take it.

- Oh, "ship can take it."

I wasn't thinking of

just the ship.

You're right.

I know the protocols for a Mars

recovery mission better than anybody...

because I designed them.

And I'm telling you,

these guys can do it.

He's right, Ray.

We've got a real shot here.

Hmm.

Well. Give me an updated

mission plan by 0800 tomorrow.

You'll have it by 0600.

Let's go to work.

Chief, can I have a word?

Go ahead.

- I no longer have the right crew.

- What do you mean?

- Bjornstrom can be up here

on the next shuttle.

- Bjornstrom is a geologist.

He's good, but not for this. My people

just lost eight months of training.

This is a different mission

with a different objective.

- I haven't approved the mission yet.

- Yes, but when you do,

it ought to be given

its best chance for success.

I want McConnell

to fly right seat.

Oh.

Jim McConnell is no longer

on mission status.

- Yeah, because you washed him out.

- He washed himself out.

He only had to pass

a few more psych evaluations,

but... he refused

to take them.

His wife was dead.

He didn't want to lay on the couch

and share it with strangers.

That was his call,

but I had to make one too!

It was tough as hell,

but I'd do it again!

For Christ's sake, Ray.

She wasted away in front of his eyes.

What was he supposed to do,

suck it up? Get with the program?

What was his crime?

That he showed a little emotion?

I couldn't trust him!

When Maggie died,

it knocked the hell out of him.

It knocked the hell

out of all of us.

But you know and I know

he's still the best we've got.

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