future missions might marry up the NASA and private space-industry technology to a single, better system.
Bill wasn’t sure about any of that, but he did plan to work on it in the future. He looked up at the full Moon glistening in the clear, star-filled night sky. After taking a few minutes to let his eyes get adjusted to the darkness, and his mind clear from all of the events of the day, Bill had a smile on his face as big as the one he’d gotten when he was five years old.
“We did return, and not only did we get there, but on a rescue mission—maybe there’s hope for us after all,” he said aloud. Bill thought about his aging mother and that first night that he had seen Gene Cernan leave the Moon. “I told you, Mom. I told you I was gonna go to the Moon someday.”
