As Joan Goodwin’s mission approached in 1984, her schedule became grueling, filled with simulations, physical tests, and Spacelab preparation for solar experiments. Vanessa Ford’s parallel training frequently took her to Alabama’s dunk tank, leaving the couple with long stretches apart. Despite exhaustion, Joan felt increasingly drawn to the voice of Mission Control during sims and decided she wanted hands-on experience there.

Joan met with Antonio to request a CAPCOM assignment. She argued that one crew member having Mission Control experience improved in-flight communication and asserted she was ideal due to her calm under pressure, strong relationships across the astronaut corps, quick thinking, and reliability. Antonio agreed, and later Vanessa observed that Joan’s quiet persistence made her formidable.

One Friday, Joan took her niece Frances to the mall after camp. Frances asked to spend the whole weekend at Joan’s place, but Joan’s commitments and the need to keep her relationship with Vanessa private made a full weekend impossible. When Joan called Barbara to ask for an overnight, Barbara complained that Frances was disrespectful to Daniel and often upset, and revealed that she and Daniel went out nightly, leaving Frances alone after dinner. Joan noted Frances’s loneliness and decided to extend their evening together.

Joan invited Vanessa to join them for a movie and dinner. The three saw The NeverEnding Story, and Frances compared Vanessa to Atreyu, praising Vanessa’s courage and devotion to others. Vanessa admitted it was daunting to live up to that image. They went for Italian food, where Frances repeated that she preferred being with Joan and Vanessa and disliked being at home.

Vanessa responded directly to Frances’s discouragement, telling her that for some people the best times are ahead and assuring her she would “soar” once her life was her own. When Frances asked if she could be an astronaut, Vanessa affirmed that she could, even suggesting she might land on the moon. The night strengthened Frances’s bond with both women and highlighted the contrast between Frances’s supportive time with Joan and Vanessa and her isolation at Barbara and Daniel’s home.