With his mother's assistance and Hibito's encouragement, Mutta has been accepted for the New Astronaut Selection Exam. However, unsure of his next step, he visits Sharon, who works at a nearby observatory. After receiving advice from Sharon, Mutta is finally able to make up his mind.

Mutta and Nitta backtrack through the desert, looking for Nitta's cell phone. But Nitta cannot find it in time to answer his little brother's call. Has he lost another chance to reach him?

Hibito's disappearance is distracting Mutta during training and he makes a critical mistake. What will Hibito do next, and will Mutta be able to get his act together before the actual launch?

Mutta's proposal to add a windshield to the lunar rover is received well. However, Chief Butler is still reluctant to allow Mutta to train for lunar missions. Mutta decides he must try something more dramatic.

With a limited amount of time before they launch, the team search for materials they can use to keep the sponge tires dry. Visiting the hotel's utility room, Mutta borrows some silicone sealant from the janitor, which he uses to waterproof the tires. With all their elements in place, along with Mutta's addition of a toy astronaut to represent the purpose of the experiment, the rover manages to make it 200m from the target goal before its battery dies, ranking them fifth overall and second amongst the AsCans. After the contest, they are approach by the winning team, whose director turns out to be none other than Naoto, who is working hard to develop a Japanese manned rocket.

After a long wait, Mutta learns that he passed the final exam. With no time to enjoy the moment, he is immediately whisked to the press conference, where the other new astronauts wait.

Hibito is able to save Damian, but he's running out of oxygen. Freddy and Buddy are trying to catch him, but they won't arrive before his oxygen depletes. Is this the end?

After Mutta takes a make-up exam, this time managing to concentrate properly, he once again meets Deneil Young. With the top scoring AsCans being assigned to the best flight instructors for their T-38 training, Mutta, as the only one who had to take a make-up, is assigned to Deneil.

Mutta, Hibito and Serika accompany Sharon to a neurologist, where Serika fears she may be suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis just like her father. As Sharon is admitted for more tests, Serika explains the details of ALS to Mutta, who is shocked to learn that it may one day kill her. As such, Mutta finds himself unable to concentrate on his written test and scores terribly. Following her examinations, in which she is properly diagnosed with ALS, Sharon is visited by Serika, who tells her about her father and motivates her to work hard on her research despite her illness. As Sharon heads back towards Japan, Mutta reaffirms his promise to help build her telescope. Later, Serika tells Mutta about a similar promise she made to get up to the ISS and develop a treatment for ALS.

As Hibito, along with Damian and Linda, begin their journey back to Earth, Mutta's group give Pico their rover as a memento of their time together. The day soon comes for the space module Orion to enter the atmosphere and a collective sigh of relief is heard as the parachutes are successfully deployed and the three astronauts land safely. Arriving in Houston, Hibito greets Mutta, giving him a piece of rock from the moon as a souvenir.

Hibito manages to bring Damian back to the surface by using Gibson, but he's running out of time, as his oxygen supply dwindles. Will Freddy and Buddy find him in time?

Two hours have passed since JAXA was supposed to notify the candidates, and Mutta hasn't received a call. When the phone finally rings, he's told to go to a nearby park. What will his fate be?

As the survival training draws to a close, Nitta suddenly tells the team he needs to backtrack due to losing his cell phone, but Mutta stops him. However, Mutta appears to have an idea in mind.

The year 2006. Two brothers, Nanba Mutta (age 12) and Hibito (age 9), happen to spot a UFO headed for the moon. The experience inspires them to make a certain promise.

The astronaut candidates continue their survival training in the desert. Team E has fallen behind the others, but after Nitta takes the lead, they try to pick up the pace.

It's their final day in the sealed box. Mutta has enjoyed his two weeks with the team, and he wishes to avert ruining their bond, as they make their final decision.

As Azuma makes his way towards the moon, Mutta's team works on testing the rover, learning of what flaws they need to fix. The team consider following another team's example and going with a glider instead of a ground rover, but Pico points out that the wind would cause issues with that plan. Using his engineer insight on how to overcome their obstacles, Mutta suggests that they make the rover's tires out of sponge, so they can have larger tires that still fit inside the rocket whilst also reducing costs and providing shock absorption. Impressed by this idea, Pico decides to give the team advice on their parachute, encouraging them to think of the rover as a spaceship containing their comrades. With Mutta's ideas and Pico's advice, the team manage to put together a working rover complete with a functioning parachute. Later, as Mutta is invited by Pico for a drink, Vince takes him for a drive.

It's New Year's, and the Nanba family is together in Houston to celebrate. Mutta feels good, as he trains for the moon and talks to Serika, but Hibito doesn't seem to be in a celebratory mood.

As Sharon makes a new proposal to NASA for the lunar telescope, Mutta continues his training in the desert. However, Chief Butler is still seeking a backup captain for the mission.

Hibito informs Mutta that he'll be returning to Japan for a week in order to be debriefed by JAXA and visit Sharon. Meanwhile, Mutta struggles with multitasking aspect of flying a T-38, not helped by Deniel's improvisations and a burger commercial that got stuck in his head. After giving him some advice on being a top pilot, Deneil later tells Mutta that he plans to retire once Mutta becomes an official astronaut. Meanwhile, Hibito and the other astronauts go drinking with Pico, telling him about his experiences with Deneil. As Mutta finally gets the hang of his training, Deneil tells him about how he salutes to pictures of pilots and would-be astronauts who died in flight accidents.

After completing survival training, the NASA astronaut candidates are tasked to participate in the upcoming Comeback Competition. Each team receives an advisory engineer, but Mutta's team is stuck with someone who won't help.

The astronaut candidates have reached the sixth, and final, day of survival training. But Mutta is down with a fever. Can Team E complete the training?

Mutta comes up with an idea to prevent vehicular accidents on the moon. Will NASA accept his proposal?

After advancing to the second exam, Mutta realizes that the other applicants are much better prepared than he is. Desperate to prove himself, he stakes everything on the lung capacity test, as he has confidence in his trumpet-trained lungs. However, as the other applicants drop out, he finds himself in a heated battle with Itou Serika. Who will come out on top?

After a buggy accident, Hibito and Damian are stuck at the bottom of a ravine. Damian's spacesuit is damaged, and he's losing body heat quickly. The odds are against them, but Hibito decides that the unmanned drone Gibson is their key out.

Mutta and Hibito are selected for a magazine cover. Mutta is excited, but he notices that Hibito is acting strangely.

After a long week, only the final interview remains in the second JAXA exam. Mutta is drawing attention as Nanba Hibito's older brother, but he insists he won't spend his entire life as Nanba Hibito's big brother.

The teams have two days left in the sealed boxes. Mission Control has deliberately not given certain members of Kenji's Team B any green cards, leading to paranoia. Meanwhile, in Team A, Mutta announces that he has good news, bad news, and dicey news.

Mutta has returned from his training in the desert and gets some rest as Christmas approaches. Meanwhile, Kenji and Nitta finally learn about the mission they've been assigned to.

During their car ride, Vince mentions that he considers astronomers his enemy, due to their supposed snobbery towards manned spaceflight. When asked who his viewpoint, Mutta responds that he considers himself to be his worse enemy, with Sharon being the one who helped him see that. As Pico joins them at the bar, Mutta's remark about earnest failures reminds Pico and Vince about their childhood friend, Rick, who used to make rockets together. Back when they were fifteen, they were under pressure to give up on their dreams and settle with becoming coal miners due to the town they were raised in, but they reaffirmed their dreams after seeing Brian riding the ISS.

As Mutta and his teammates try to keep warm in the cold desert night, Mutta is reminded of recent events.

Recap episode. Hibito recalls the ordeal of his accident on the moon.

Eddie Jay's arrival has given the CES-62 sub crew a much-needed jolt. After a night jog brings the crew closer together, Eddie suggests that the crew members share their stories.

The final exam is set to take place in two months. Mutta heads to Houston, ahead of the other candidates to look after Apo and tour the Johnson Space Center. Meanwhile, Hibito is training hard for his lunar mission.

Recap episode. Mutta recalls how he first got accepted for the JAXA training program.

With the final astronaut selection exam coming up, Mutta heads to Houston. However, Jennifer has some ominous news.

While Mutta waits to hear if he will become an astronaut, Kenji has received good news. The next candidate to get a call is Serika.

It's finally the day of the launch, but the weather doesn't look good. On top of that, Apo's run off, so Mutta has to go find him. While searching for Apo, Mutta comes across a suspicious old man.

Mutta has completed NEEMO training. His final idea impressed many people in NASA. Meanwhile, back in Houston, Hibito continues his rehabilitation.

NASA and JAXA have decided to bring Hibito back to Houston, placing him in a supporting role. Hibito has no choice but to pack up and make his farewells.

The final NASA interview was a decoy to trick the candidates into relaxing, so the astronauts could evaluate them. However, the candidates have yet to realize this.

After learning that his former boss has told JAXA about the headbutt incident, Mutta has given up hope on passing the exam. To cope, Mutta falls back on his childhood habit of multitasking like crazy when something bad happens.

After passing the second JAXA exam, Mutta returns to Japan for the third. He's happy about the exam result, but on the flight back, a nightmare leaves him rattled. This is due to the letters from Hibito that he discovered before leaving.

The third exam is halfway over. Mutta works on a completely white puzzle as he ponders why Fukuda-san would break the only clock in the sealed box.

When the robber known as the fire extinguisher man strikes the restaurant where Mutta is, he's in trouble. But once the dust settles, Mutta has become a national hero for capturing the criminal. However, it appears there's more to the story.

Two days are left before launch. First, the lunar lander Artemis goes into space on Mars V. Afterwards, Hibito and the rest of the crew will head into space on Mars I.

Mutta's idea for improving the lunar rover has earned him the right to participate in NEEMO training. He has taken one step toward the moon.

The JAXA astronaut candidates head to Houston, to begin training at NASA. However, Murakami-san appears to have a surprise in store for Mutta.

After five days in their sealed boxes, each team is exhibiting a pronounced personality. Mutta's Team A is rowdy, while Team C is quiet. However, Kenji's Team B appears to be a little gloomy.

Seven days remain before Hibito takes off on a journey to become the first Japanese person to walk on the moon. Meanwhile, Mutta prepares for the final astronaut selection exam at Johnson Space Center.

Hibito continues to struggle in rehab. Russian astronaut Ivan Tolstoy shows Hibito videos of his daughter as a child, learning ballet. Will the videos give Hibito his answer?

Mutta has completed his NEEMO training and now waits to learn if he will be heading to the moon. Back in Houston, Hibito also completes his rehabilitation training. All that remains is to demonstrate to NASA that he has made a full recovery.

The first astronaut candidate task is undergoing a survival training course consisting of a six-day trek through the desert. Meanwhile, Mutta is still worried about Amanti's reaction after she read his fortune.

Troubled by Hibito's disappearance, Mutta's performance begins slipping. However, a conversation with Chief Butler reassures him.

With four days before the launch, Mutta and his family arrive at Kennedy Space Center for one last meal with Hibito before he heads into space. Mutta uses this opportunity to hand Hibito a very special DVD-R.

Mutta and the other astronaut candidates have finally finished their Japanese training. Before they head to Houston, they receive a gift from Director Nasuda.

Mutta and the other astronaut candidates have arrived in Houston to begin training at NASA. First up is a social event to meet the other astronaut candidates from around the world.

Hibito has passed his test to return to active duty. With that over, Mutta can focus on starting his backup crew training for a lunar mission.

After completing the second JAXA exam, Hibito invites Mutta for a free trip to Houston, Texas, through NASA's family support program. Upon arrival, he finds himself chased by a pug named Apo, and is then reunited with Hibito. However, Hibito expresses disappointment.

The third astronaut selection exam has finally ended. Team A used rock-paper-scissors to select two members. Whose dreams are still alive?