- Emotions run high as rapidly dwindling water rations on the Atlas leave the crew and Mission Control scrambling to find a fix before time runs out
- Two weeks out from Mars, the water system fails for good. Following NASA's recommendation, the crew need to extract water from the protective bladders used for radiation shielding in the walls of the ship. The first plan to drill from inside fails, and the crew lose use of their living quarters. The second plan is of Emma and Ram doing a spacewalk to obtain water from outside the ship. Meanwhile, Alexis spends the night with Isaac without Matt's knowledge.
- Two weeks out from Mars, the water system fails for good. The system had recycled about 24 ounces of water in its 16 chambers. This is about 2 days of supply. They have at most 72 hrs to solve their water problem.
Following NASA's recommendation, the crew need to extract water from the protective bladders used for radiation shielding in the walls of the ship. The first plan is to drill from inside. Misha was not in favor of this plan as there is a risk of drilling too deep and puncturing the walls to outer space. In 1997 Russian orbiting station Mir had a puncture in its module called Spektr when an approaching freighter rammed into it. The module lost air pressure and the crew only got out in time and isolated the module from the rest of Mir. Misha says if they hear the sound of air escaping the module (a kind of hssss), then they will need to rush out of the module very fast.
Matt wasn't able to come up with specs for a plan to drill for water from the outside (they are not able to come up with a way to collect water in liquid form at 2.7 kelvin. The thermodynamic pump they envisage, doesn't work in practice as it catches fire when Matt tries to use it on Earth for a demo to Darlene) and hence Darlene had no option but to green light the drilling from inside (the instructions and specs are sent to drill into the hull from crew quarters). Ram is given the task of drilling into the hub as he is a surgeon and has the steadiest hands. Ram over drills and hits space.. The crew has no choice but to evacuate crew quarters. The crew lose use of their living quarters. In anticipation, they had already taken their personal effects out of the crew quarters.
Isaac comes back to Alexis and says he was freaked out and didn't want to go through everything again, when he had lost his dad. Isaac and Alexis kiss and later share a meal together. Darlene starts preparing speeches for the media, but Matt is not ready to give up just yet.
Matt cant figure out a way to collect liquid water at near zero kelvin in outer space. So he devises a plan to electrically charge the spacesuits of the astronauts and direct the water crystals towards the airlock and collect them in bags there. It is a crazy plan, but the only one they have got. The second plan of Emma and Ram doing a spacewalk to obtain water from outside the ship is successful. Post the spacewalk the duo manage to fill many bags full of water, enough to sustain them for the 2 weeks to Mars, and if required for the 10 weeks rendezvous with Pegasus II.
Ram confesses he has romantic feelings for Emma. Alexis spends the night with Isaac without Matt's knowledge. Alexis feels comfortable around Issac and is able to talk to him without any agenda or prejudice. Matt was busy saving the mission and hence was only keeping tabs on Alexis via Melissa. Now Melissa had been trying to contact Alexis since morning, but Alexis ignored her calls.
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