Ackermann didn't make the flight program the first time around. He settled down, married, and figured the dream had passed him by.
But then, years later, he is pulled from retirement for another shot at glory - at a price.
He is selected for the first manned interplanetary mission, to be the first man to walk the surface of Mars, and to lay the groundwork for future colonization. The catch? There will be no return journey.