At an all-astronauts meeting, Antonio announces that the eighteen members of Group 9 have completed their training and are now full astronauts. The room erupts in applause; Joan meets Vanessa Ford’s eyes and shares a smile, recognizing the significance of the moment. Later, Joan calls her sister Barbara and her niece Frances to share the news, confirming she has received the silver astronaut pin.

That evening at the Outpost, the group celebrates. Amid drinks and cheers, Hank Redmond kisses Donna and they reveal their engagement, drawing raucous approval from the crowd. Joan, observing Donna’s open happiness, feels both admiration and terror at such vulnerability; when Vanessa arrives, Joan admits mixed feelings about the public romance, and Vanessa lightly challenges her cynicism.

Hours later, after most have left, only Joan, Vanessa, Lydia Danes, and Griff remain. A very drunk Lydia bluntly says she doubted Vanessa and Joan would succeed—calling Vanessa a “glorified mechanic” and Joan once “meek”—before conceding that both have strengths she lacks and that she should listen to them. Griff escorts Lydia home, leaving Joan and Vanessa alone.

In the quieter aftermath, Joan and Vanessa discuss loneliness. Vanessa suggests not everyone is lonely and notes Joan has family, while Joan confesses she often dreams of ordinary, contented life but always alone. Vanessa, in turn, shares a recurring dream of being alive in her own casket while mourners (especially her mother) grieve what she never did, revealing her urgency: “Don’t confuse my respect for you with patience.”

Inside Joan’s apartment, Vanessa presses for honesty, fearing she will wait forever and that it will destroy her. Joan cannot tell Vanessa to move on, admits she does not want to say that, and meets Vanessa’s gaze. Vanessa pushes Joan against the door and kisses her; Joan reciprocates intensely, surrendering to feelings she had resisted. In the intimate aftermath, Joan experiences a profound shift in self-understanding, recognizing the legitimacy and depth of her desire and the possibility that has been waiting for her.