Pratik Handore
‘For All Mankind‘ season 3’s race to mars reaches its final leg and comes to a thrilling conclusion in the fifth episode. The episode, titled ‘Seven Minutes of Terror,’ sees Helios leaving no stone unturned in reaching the Red Planet first. However, Ed and his crew receive stiff competition from NASA, who team up with the Roscosmos cosmonauts to give their chances of reaching mars one final push. If you are wondering which of the two crews lands on mars first, here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘For All Mankind’ season 3 episode 5! SPOILERS AHEAD!
For All Mankind Season 3 Episode 5 Recap
Episode 5, titled ‘Seven Minutes of Terror,’ opens with the NASA, Helios, and Roscosmos crews grieving the loss of the astronauts aboard Mars-94 during the botched rescue mission. At Helios Mission control, Karen expresses her dissatisfaction with Dev Ayesa’s decision and resigns from her post. In space, Ed regains control of his ship and prepares for the final leg of the Phoenix’s journey to Mars. Meanwhile, NASA and Roscomos decide to finish the mission together, forming a temporary alliance.
In NASA Mission Control, Margo refuses to work with anyone from Roscosmos other than Sergei Nikulov. However, Margo learns that Sergei has been removed from Roscosmos and assigned a different project. Nonetheless, Margo gives Roscosmos an ultimatum and uses the situation to her advantage. As a result, Sergei is released from KGB’s arrest. He reveals that he was forced to blackmail Margo as the KGB threatened his family. Simultaneously, Aleida Rosales realizes the similarities between NASA and Roscosmos’ engine designs for their mars spacecraft.
On the Sojourner-1, Kelly learns that cosmonaut Alexei Poletov warned her about the engine failure of Mars-94. Danielle is forced to work with the cosmonauts to prepare the ship for the final stretch of its journey. Kelly and Alexei grow close and share a kiss. On earth, Karen ponders over her future after resigning from Helios. She sends Ed a video message which Danny also watches on his computer. Ed and Danny talk about Karen cheating on Ed. While Ed preaches forgiveness, he states that he would kill the person who slept with Karen. Sojourner-1 and Phoenix prepare to enter Mars’ orbit as the race to the Red Planet reaches the final lap.
For All Mankind Season 3 Episode 5 Ending: Who Lands on Mars First?
The race to Mars concludes after several twists and turns in the final moments of the fifth episode. Helios’ Phoenix leads the way after the crew is locked out from helping the Soviet spacecraft. Ed stamps his authority on the ship and makes the decisions himself leading the spaceship close to Mars’ orbit. On the other hand, Danielle faces constant hiccups due to the joint mission between NASA and Roscosmos. Instead of focusing on winning the race, Danielle opts for securely landing on the Red Planet.
Both the spaceships must perform a risky maneuver to enter Mars’ orbit. However, the maneuver must be performed within a specified time frame. Moreover, a sand storm on the surface of the Red Planet makes it difficult for the astronauts to perform a landing. Nonetheless, Ed leaps into action and takes the situation into his own hands. He is resolved to undo his failure of being the first person to land on the moon years ago. Thus, Ed sets out in a capsule spacecraft with Danny that rockets towards Mars’ surface.
On the other hand, Danielle struggles to get the maneuver right due to the bulky nature of her spacecraft. Therefore, she must wait for the right to execute the maneuver and enter Mars’ orbit. As a result, it seems like Ed will win the race to Mars for Helios. However, Ed faces issues in landing on Mars due to the sand storm. As Ed’s spacecraft, Popeye gets closer to the surface, the sand storm becomes more intense, forcing Ed to perform a blind landing. Fearing for Danny’s life, Ed aborts the mission at the last second, and Popeye returns to the Phoenix. A brief shot of the planet’s surface shows that Ed and Danny were within touching distance of Mars.
Meanwhile, Danielle slowly brings her ship to Mars’ surface. Despite the difficulties, she executes the landing making the NASA and Roscosmos mission a joint success. However, the Head of the cosmonauts tries to trick Danielle and rushes to become the first person to step foot on Mars. Nonetheless, Danielle and the cosmonauts step foot on the Red Planet at the same time. On earth, the world views the mission as a rousing success for humanity.
Read More: For All Mankind Season 3 Episode 4 Recap and Ending, Explained
