Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:31 — 13.1MB)
Audio quality is excellent.
Messages are telegraphed from earth to the space station to break the news that extra duty, and time in space is required. Chapman is a little disgruntled that his relief won’t be on the next shuttle. What’s the rest of the crew planning once they get back home? All the usual stuff men do when returning after a long separation. Three years in space is a long time.
As equipment checks are made, the crew discuss the reasons why relief ships don’t come more often. Will Chapman be convinced to stay longer if he doesn’t have to? A flash in the distant sky signals the relief ship is near, and landing.
The atmosphere is upbeat as the crews meet, and bring mementos from earth. The reason for being shorthanded is revealed, and the ordeal of crewmen lost in an exploration is told in flashback. As much as he would rather return to earth, Chapman is faced with a motivation to stay on. Bravery? Or has he been manipulated into the extra duty?
Note: Messages sent by telegraph? Seriously? Not to mention smoking in oxygen rich environments like the space ship. Brilliant. What are these guys… rocket scientists?
