 What was the mission of the Whale?
There was never anything wrong with the Whale till right at the end and even then I doubt if it was the ship itself that fouled things up. Matt Hennessy, from Farside Observatory, back of the Moon, just back from a proving flight cum astronomical survey in the starship Whale . Walking, talking natives on a blue sky planet with 1.1 g gravity and a twenty per cent oxygen atmosphere at fifteen p.s.i. We were able to show them our sun, in their telescopes. When I say they, I mean a ten-man team of them. "Two, they brew a near-beer that's a lot nearer than the canned stuff we had aboard the Whale .
 The mission is a test flight and astronomical survey.
 The mission is to make peace with Alpha Centauri.  The mission is to invade Chang.  The mission is a test flight and astronomical survey.  The mission is to make contact with Chang.