Trajectory
Directed by Stephen Surjik
John's orienteering skills lead him and Maureen successfully to the Dhars' Jupiter, just in time to see it powering up for liftoff. Maureen asks Victor how much fuel he has, and learns that it's not enough to get the fully-loaded craft to orbit. John leaps aboard to shut down the launch sequence, fighting off Beckert's attempt to stop him. Ashamed by his cowardice, but unwilling to admit wrongdoing, Victor asks if John is in charge of the colony now, but instead John insists on a general meeting.
Maureen has a plan. They can lift off, but only by stripping down the Jupiter to the barest bones. No navigation, no computer control, no instrumentation, barely anything, like the most primitive launches of the old space program. They also need a pilot who can control the craft with support from mission control. Hiroki's wife is the logical choice as the lightest person there, and she agrees to go after a long debate.
Now that the secret of their predicament is out in the open, Penny confronts Vijay about breaking her trust. He is unable to come up with a satisfactory answer and declares that the two are breaking up.
Amid the preparatory work for the launch, Judy returns (from notifying Evan's family). She immediately goes to Maureen to let her know about Dr. Smith's lies. Not a person to be fooled twice, Maureen tricks her into the garage where she is locked in a closet. She's caught, finally.
However, there's still a problem — the Jupiter is still too heavy. They can remove the stabilizers, but that will subject the pilot to intense g-forces, enough to make them black out. Recovery time is critical, and Aiko Watanabe's scores are too low. But John's aren't. He's perfect. But the danger is incredible, and he can't do it without the family's input. Will in particular is terrified — he's already lost his best friend and now might lose his father.
In preparation, they test John's ability to recover and control the ship after blacking out, but he keeps failing to execute all the required maneuvers. Matters are made worse when the Resolute sends an ominous broadcast: they too have detected the black hole and have to leave in 24 hours. Then they realize that Don's engineering expertise is exactly what the mission needs, if he can be persuaded to go. Judy convinces him, and the tests are successful.
As the launch nears, John and Don says their farewells, and Will is scared and desperate enough to do what he knows he shouldn't: listen to Dr. Smith, who offers him another way out. Maybe the Robot can fly the ship, and she has it. In a lapse of judgment worthy of any epic fail, Will lets her out.
The launch is going well, almost too well. Don vents the engines and they are nearly out of the atmosphere, but run into turbulence. Cut to Will tied up in the closet and Smith sneaking up behind Maureen. She knocks Maureen unconscious just as a critical moment comes. Unable to deliver navigation instructions, John doesn't know which way to turn, and the radio cuts out. Judy and Penny, watching from the hillside, see the Jupiter explode.
