Joan Goodwin arrives early at Mission Control in Houston to serve as CAPCOM for STS-LR9, the third flight of the shuttle Navigator. She reflects on the breadth of an astronaut’s duties when not flying and on her own prior spaceflight, represented by her gold pin. Despite the oppressive heat and an undefined unease, Joan feels calm as she begins her shift, unaware that later events will bring fear and heartbreak.

In Mission Control, Joan observes as the prior shift supports preparations for a spacewalk. Flight Director Jack Katowski, known for his stoicism, is already on the floor being debriefed. Joan takes pride in her teamwork with Jack and notes that most of the shuttle crew—pilot Hank Redmond and mission specialists John Griffin, Lydia Danes, and Vanessa Ford—are her classmates, with Commander Steve Hagen having been an instructor. Their shared history makes her both ideal for CAPCOM and emotionally vulnerable.

The mission’s goal is to deploy the Arch-6 Earth observation satellite for the U.S. Navy. A problem arose the previous day when the payload retention latches failed to release. The plan for this shift is for Vanessa Ford and John Griffin to perform an EVA to manually free the latches.

Joan settles at the CAPCOM console after Isaac Williams briefs her on telemetry and timing, confirming Ford and Griffin’s pre-breathe is nearly complete. She coordinates with team members including Ray Stone (flight surgeon) and Greg Ullman (EECOM). As the airlock depressurizes, the narrative explains the pressurization differences between the shuttle’s interior and the vacuum-exposed payload bay, emphasizing the deadly consequences of entering without suits and Joan’s philosophy that spaceflight is the product of human preparedness, collaboration, and curiosity.

With depressurization complete, Jack Katowski authorizes Joan to open the loop to the crew. Joan’s pulse quickens, not from mission risk but from personal nerves about speaking to Vanessa Ford. Joan contacts Navigator, and Steve Hagen, Hank Redmond, and Lydia Danes respond. Joan clears Ford and Griffin for the EVA. Vanessa Ford and John Griffin acknowledge, and Griffin adds a friendly note about hearing Joan’s voice.

The chapter closes marking these as “the last forty-five minutes before,” foreshadowing impending trouble while the team proceeds into the spacewalk phase.