After passing the second JAXA exam, Mutta returns to Japan for the third. He's happy about the exam result, but on the flight back, a nightmare leaves him rattled. This is due to the letters from Hibito that he discovered before leaving.

The third exam is halfway over. Mutta works on a completely white puzzle as he ponders why Fukuda-san would break the only clock in the sealed box.

The final exam is set to take place in two months. Mutta heads to Houston, ahead of the other candidates to look after Apo and tour the Johnson Space Center. Meanwhile, Hibito is training hard for his lunar mission.

Hibito and the CES-51 crew finally land on the moon. However, Mutta is worried that Hibito will embarrass their country when he takes his first step.

Hibito manages to bring Damian back to the surface by using Gibson, but he's running out of time, as his oxygen supply dwindles. Will Freddy and Buddy find him in time?

The astronaut candidates have reached the sixth, and final, day of survival training. But Mutta is down with a fever. Can Team E complete the training?

The AsCans begin their flight studies, in which they must learn three weeks worth of flight knowledge in three days. Meanwhile, Sharon speaks with Daniel Morrison, a university lecturer from Hawaii, who expresses his interest in her telescope proposal and offers his support. She eventually arrives in Houston where she meets up with Hibito, who senses some limpness in her hands. After Sharon falls over whilst trying to carry some drinks, her assistant and Hibito check her into a medical center, where the doctor claims she is only feeling fatigue. Later that night, Hibito and Sharon head to a party Mutta and the others are holding. When Serika notices Sharon's battered cellphone, she is reminded of when her father was first diagnosed with his illness and discovers Sharon is showing the same symptons he had.

Hibito struggles with the panic disorder that's afflicted him since his ordeal on the moon. However, he requests that his condition be kept secret from Mutta, who may have found a way to improve the lunar rover.

Mutta is now underwater participating in NEEMO training. He's happy to be assigned to the same team as Kenji, but it turns out that he shouldn't be celebrating.

Mutta has been chosen to go to the moon. First, he will serve as Vince's backup. Now, Kenji and Nitta must learn what the future has in store for them.

Mutta has returned from his training in the desert and gets some rest as Christmas approaches. Meanwhile, Kenji and Nitta finally learn about the mission they've been assigned to.

Hibito's disappearance is distracting Mutta during training and he makes a critical mistake. What will Hibito do next, and will Mutta be able to get his act together before the actual launch?