 Why doesn't Martha want the general to bring Terry home?
"Is Terry really way up there all alone, Martha?" "Aren't you scared , Martha?" Martha fixed herself a light supper, then donned an old suede jacket of Terry's and went out into the garden to wait for the sun to go down. According to the time table the general had outlined in his first telegram, Terry's first Tuesday night passage wasn't due to occur till 9:05. Tremulously she faced the southern horizon ... and saw her Terry appear in his shining chariot, riding up the star-pebbled path of his orbit, a star in his own right, dropping swiftly now, down, down, and out of sight beyond the dark wheeling mass of the Earth ...
 Martha feels Terry would want to spend eternity amongst the stars.
 Martha does not want to be blamed for spending taxpayers' money on an expensive search and rescue operation.  Martha feels Terry would want to spend eternity amongst the stars.  Martha does not want the media circus to continue.  Martha knows the same kind of accident or worse could happen to the search and rescue team.