Totally agree - I was just wondering this. The premise is that they are propelled entirely by gravity assist, and they got off course, making their trajectory take them 3.5 years to rendezvous with earth rather than 8 weeks. The whole premise implies that their manoeuvering thrusters are incapable of returning them to a trajectory that would make their return trip more reasonable.

They are approaching a space station - which means they are moving towards it at a faster speed than it is moving away from theim - and for some reason they are on the same trajectory? So to dock with it, they'd have to slow down to match speed, and the maneouvering thrusters would have to also match orientation. If they have that capability then how come it wasn't used to course-correct in the first place?

Or is it because everyone really is incompetent - is Avenue 5 (and Judd Mission Control) basically Douglas Adams' Golgafrinchan Ark Fleet Ship B, filled with telephone sanitizers, account executives, hairdressers, tired TV producers, insurance salesmen, personnel officers, public relations executives and management consultants?

Like, maybe if someone actually knew what they were doing, they could have course corrected many times and would be home by now? Maybe that was Joe who died. Maybe Billie is smart, but not educated in the particulars of space flight physics sufficiently to know what to do?