While on a mission to repair a corporate communications satellite, the shuttle crew encounters a Soviet spacecraft that turns out to have been a secret attempt to send a manned mission to the moon - launched, and lost, over 30 years ago - that, had it succeeded, would have reached the moon before the United States.

While on a Shuttle mission with Jack Riles, for the new Space Station, Astronaut Sam Blakes wife is rushed to the hospital suffering from complications in her pregnancy. Bull is prepared to scrap the mission until, unexpectedly, Kathy dies. The decision is then made not to tell Sam and to continue with the last 2 days of the mission, even though Sams tiny baby daughter is fighting for her life. Riles soon learns the truth and initially refuses to go along with the deception, but relents after being ordered to. At home Bull and Ellen work together to break the news to Sam's other children and to look after them until their father returns from space.