 Why did the Department hope that Si would continue for three more space missions?
They also had a banquet for him, complete with speeches by such bigwigs of the Department of Space Exploration as Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux. It was better to retire on a limited crediting, on a confoundedly limited crediting, than to take the two or three more trips in hopes of attaining a higher standard. He'd had plenty of time to figure it out, there alone in space on the Moon run, there on the Venus or Mars runs. If it is admitted that our organization has degenerated to the point that we haven't a single pilot, then it might well be that the Economic Planning Board, and especially those cloddies on Appropriations, will terminate the whole Department of Space Exploration."
 It would take too long to train a new pilot to complete the explorations.
 He didn't complain about the explorations and enjoyed his time in space.  His required compensation was lower than the other pilots.  It would take too long to train a new pilot to complete the explorations.  He was the best of the best in the space exploration team.