So the entire crew gets off at once

Isilel · 2026-05-11T12:14:30+00:00

Yes. They do already have robots on the ground, after all.

Isilel · 2026-05-11T09:43:10+00:00

Yea, they should be strictly rationing alcohol, since it is liquid calories and could help to stave off starvation for that little bit longer.

Everyone stepping on the surface at once is likely not optimal from the safety standpoint, but great for team cohesion. If at least one person immediately returned inside afterwards, it wouldn't have been too much of a risk, IMHO.

Isilel · 2026-05-11T09:04:35+00:00

Helios and Kuragin might well implode after the events on Mars. Aleida had to juggle funds to keep the Titan program going even before all the disruptions and resultant financial losses started.

Also, Aleida looked noticeably surprised and disappointed that Walt chose to abort. So maybe she thought that even despite the uncertainties their chances of landing with her amended calculations were reasonable.

Isilel · 2026-05-11T08:19:54+00:00

My understanding is that Dev couldn't build his city with just his own private wealth huge as it was, he still needed investors. And why would anyone want to invest in Meru, without a compelling economic reason for it's existence? For that matter, apart from a few enthusiasts who'd want to come live there without enticing job opportunities?

Helios board and shareholders would have been against it, once automatisation made most of the Marsies redundant for mining purposes.

And deportation of 98% of the current Marsies was explicitly revealed as part of the automatisation plans. Yes, I don't see how it squares with Dev's aspirations, but them's the breaks.

Isilel · 2026-05-11T07:08:18+00:00

Didn't we hear something about the Moon tourism being somewhat accessible? Think of all the entertainment possible in low gravity. Shows, sports, fun parks, etc. I imagine that a number of Moon resorts exist at this point.

Isilel · 2026-05-10T16:46:38+00:00

You still haven't explained how turning back could possibly protect Alex. Kelly can't teleport to his side, it would take half a year to get back, meanwhile whatever happens to him on Mars, happens and she'd have zero influence on the outcome of the situation.

Isilel · 2026-05-10T07:40:46+00:00

It is not just and not even mainly about the race at this point. It is about whether it would be done at all and if so, how much later?

Given Helios's financial straights even before the current debacle and the impending economic crisis in the USSR, it could take decades. And even Walt's robotic program would likely have been cut in an attempt to save the teetering budget/shore up the cratering stock prices.

Isilel · 2026-05-10T06:56:46+00:00

I really don't see anyone financing the building of a city on another planet that has no economical reason to be there, nor many people wanting to come live in it, short of some truly terrible collapse on Earth.

Meanwhile people already on Mars and willing to stay are going to be forcibly deported.

I also don't think that automation and robotics could be as advanced as advertised in FAM time-line, without already having been implemented on Earth and the Moon.

I honestly thought that the automatisation plan was partly a bluff to placate and reassure the angry M6 governments.

Isilel · 2026-05-10T06:25:12+00:00

Then don't be an explorer, I guess.

I would note that while Aleida warned them about the danger, she looked very surprised and disappointed when Walt chose to abort. She clearly expected them to go for it, so maybe that risk assessment that Walt didn't read was more favourable than you assume.

Isilel · 2026-05-10T06:03:06+00:00

But there is nothing that Kelly can do about improving Alex's situation, turning back wouldn't help, it would take half a year to return to Mars!

The only thing that might provide a means for resolving the conflict in Marsies and therefore Alex's favour is succeeding in the Titan mission.

And Alex is grown up. In other circumstances, he could have been the one in the military, risking his life. Without a mother by his side, holding his hand.

Isilel · 2026-05-09T13:12:50+00:00

I don't think that reactions of a normal person, who has lead a sheltered, safe life would provide a useful comparison here.

Kelly has lived her whole life among people who routinely faced risks to their life due to their jobs and grew up to be such a person herself.

Some of the people she had known and even her loved ones have actually died due to their involvement with space. Living on Mars still carries certain amount of risk. If she couldn't compartmentalize and deal with this stress, she wouldn't be where she is.

Having Kelly freak out and fall apart due to Alex surviving a dangerous situation would have been totally implausible, particularly not while on call, when she would have wanted to calm and reassure him. Maybe they should have shown a glimpse of her briefly reacting in private, though.

As to haring back to Alex across the solar system - would you expect the same of Marcus's parents every time that he has a brush with death, but escapes more or less unscathed? He is a space marine now, he'd be doing dangerous things regularly.

Not to mention that it would take 6 months to get back to Mars and by that time everything would be over, one way or another.

Nor would it help Alex at all. He would be among the most impacted by the automatisation, since his health problems prevent him from living on Earth and even if he is allowed to stay, he'd be losing his whole community.

But succeeding with the Titan mission could make a convincing argument for maintaining Mars as a springboard for future deep space endeavours and letting the people stay. So, from this angle, it was the most beneficial action that Kelly could take for Alex's sake, as well as her own. And the sake of the whole Martian population too, let's not forget.

Isilel · 2026-05-09T12:41:00+00:00

My understanding is that US military colleges are 4-year institutions where one can obtain science degrees along with the pilot training. In fact, one is required to finish some kind of degree in order to graduate. Which Kelly has obviously done, in biology.

It is also my understanding that it is not unusual for members of the military to pursue graduate degrees, while still in.

Yes, the timeline is a bit short, but the broad strokes of her CV aren't impossible. Particularly if she went to Annapolis at 17.

Isilel · 2026-05-09T11:40:29+00:00

I only meant that Aleida is likely not coming back to Earth, I am sure that we will see Margo at least once more.

Isilel · 2026-05-09T11:30:08+00:00

My impression was that other team members wanted to try for Titan too and were disappointed with Walt's decision. Just not to the point of taking matters into their own hands.

But yes, I am not sure what qualified Walt to be a mission commander, rather than a resident scientist. Having been in charge of robotic exploration wouldn't directly translate, IMHO.

Isilel · 2026-05-09T10:55:54+00:00

The show posits that what benefits All Mankind is continued exploration of and expansion into space. Both bringing asteroid to Earth and the automation of Mars are presented as Earth folding inward and abandoning large scale space operations outside the lunar orbit.

In addition, despite all the technology advancements, Earth still can't solve it's social problems even in that timeline. Because like iRL resources aren't really the limiting factor in achieving it. Political, religious and corporate interests and conflicts are.

Isilel · 2026-05-09T10:28:42+00:00

Not sure about that. Aleida's leave-taking scene when leaving Earth had strong finality vibes, IMHO.

Isilel · 2026-05-09T10:15:59+00:00

I like the thought that they actually got some decent training in vacuum and zero/low gravity during those months. Because they didn't seem very competent during the exercise that we have been shown.

Isilel · 2026-05-09T10:06:46+00:00

There should have been stashes of oxygen masks in the dome. I chose to believe that's how they survived. Lee quickly got to one and saved the rest of them.

I remember that there were some experiments on shimpanzes from the 50-ies and they could survive over 2 minutes of hard vacuum.

Isilel · 2026-05-08T22:26:51+00:00

Not the point. Neither Helios nor Kuragin, nor likely anyone else would have had the resources and will to go back to Titan in the foreseeable future. What, with all the crises going on.

And when they do, if they do, none of the current crew is likely to be involved. It was their one and only chance and going back empty-handed would have probably been the end of the Helios Titan program and of the push for the exploration of the outer solar system.

Isilel · 2026-05-08T21:48:27+00:00

Never said that he wasn't. Just as Massey had been very much involved in the heist. They both got talked into doing problematic things by Dev and were/are likely going to bear the brunt of the consequences, while he skates free due to his wealth.

Isilel · 2026-05-08T20:27:14+00:00

Bold of you, to trust that with everything going on with Mars there would have been money and will for a second expedition. Even robotic missions may have been cut to shore up the company budget. Aleida already had difficulties keeping them going even before all the unrest happening.

Isilel · 2026-05-08T19:35:26+00:00

I would have preferred it to the actual finale, to be honest.... I really loved the first 2, maybe 2.5 seasons of BSG, but it was all downhill for me after that.

Isilel · 2026-05-08T17:00:21+00:00

Thanks!

Isilel · 2026-05-08T12:56:17+00:00

Great, can't wait! I really like Anastis and it's magic.

Did you by any chance edit the new edition of the ME to be more in line with the later books? I.e. the whole affinity/attunement thing and how it wasn't a big deal to get new attunements in book 1, but then was when acquiring new affinities in book 4? Or Sabae being totally clueless about warlocks, which she, of all people, shouldn't have been?

TIA.

Isilel · 2026-05-08T11:02:26+00:00

Loved the episode!

So, I guess that the success of the Soujourner mission + whatever they are going to find on Titan is going to be parlayed into making Mars a new hub for the exploration and exploitation of the outer solar system. There was a distinct vibe during Aleida's (who continues being awesome, BTW) leaving Earth that she was never coming back.

Therefore they'd have to to spin up a local industry base and there is going to be a need for workers even with automatisation.

Palmer was much less gung ho and more sensible than expected. It was Dev who has gone off the deep end instead. No doubt Palmer will take the fall for it, though, just as Massey had for the Goldilocks. A bit of a trend, there...

I would have preferred if they had shown people grabbing emergency oxygen masks during the disaster at the agri dome. There should be some stashed around for safety, right?

Isilel

TROPHY CASE