Part Three, Chapters 12-16 Summary

In chapter twelve, Leonov hurtles past the first and second moons of Jupiter, which are placed in irregular orbits around Jupiter. The eight crew members meet each morning to discuss minor affairs onboard the ship, and also to make sure morale is kept high since the Russians have been conscious the entire time as opposed to being in hibernation. They are preparing their own aerobraking maneuver that will bring them into Jupiter's atmosphere.

In chapter thirteen, four of Jupiter's moons are extremely unusual, and each very different from each other. Callisto is exactly what scientists expected, but Ganymede is covered in strange ridges. Europa is, of course, covered with water. Many exobiologists had expected life on the moon for decades. Floyd and other scientists are now wondering if there is a connection between life on Europa and...