In one part of the universe, Hachimaki is soon to become a symbol of enduring human endeavour and signal a new era for mankind. In another part, Fee and the others are on the verge of seeing the Kessler Effect initiate in front of their very eyes due to the ongoing war between the United States and the Republic Space Army, triggering the eventual and inevitable end of the world. Meanwhile, the emotionless genius facilitator Werner Locksmith returns to Earth to meet an old acquaintance at a church.

Yukimura brings the ongoing story to a close in this volume and decides to split the storylines into two halves respectively. The first half is devoted to Fee, where she loses faith in humanity upon seeing the US Army inducing the Kessler Effect through the indiscriminate bombing of the Republic Space Army. The Spaceport being blown into millions of pieces is the last straw and Fee retreats back home, much to the surprise of her son. Whilst Tanabe and Yuri try to bring her back to the Toy Box to address the urgent debris situation, Fee tries her hardest to disassociate herself from the rest of the world. It is through this reclusion that Fee goes on an introspective journey. She recalls the memories of her Uncle Roy and the racism he faced from America's southern society, causing him to disappear forever. This disregard for innocence that made Fee lose her uncle is contrasted with the US Army's disregard for the terrible long term damage its actions are causing in space. Furthermore, Fee comes to a realisation that she is exhibiting many of the traits her Uncle Roy had, particularly by running away from trouble rather than facing it. She also realises that she misses Roy immensely, and has never stopped looking for him, hoping to see him again one day. It is at this point Fee is forced to decide whether to remain secluded and keep to herself and her family, or to continue fighting no matter how hard, how unfair, and how baffling the world can be at times.

The last half of the book follows the Von Braun on the verge of reaching Jupiter. Due to the computerised nature of the ship, the astronauts have little to do, and are mostly bored. Hachimaki entertains himself by trying to film the others in their most natural ways, even without their permission. The Captain of the ship however, distraught over the task of speaking the first words from the planet Jupiter, comes down with a severe stomach ulcer due to stress. He implores his old friend, Hachimaki's father Goro, to take over his duties. However, Goro recommends his son do it, which leaves him bemused and speechless.

Meanwhile, the visionary who made the Jupiter Mission possible, Werner Locksmith, returns to Earth to visit an old acquaintance at a church. It is here where the nature and pursuit of true love is debated. The acquaintance is tired of searching for true love, concluding that it is unattainable for humans. Werner, however, believes that a scientist's purpose is to seek out truth, and that God is hiding in space, constantly gazing at humanity's pain. He concludes that if God is love, then one must become God to truly understand what true love is. Otherwise, God will forever be hidden, and humanity will suffer for eternity.

As the exchange between the two ends, Hachimaki's voice is heard on the radio, and the final words of Planetes are spoken. Simple and eloquent, within these few wonderfully scripted lines we see Hachimaki's growth as a character clearly; from a man blinded by ambition and materialistic desire to a man recognising the importance and power of love, and embracing it fully. It is a fitting end to a wonderful series which brings painstakingly realistic, hard science fiction as well as drama, humour, characterisation, and a classically sublime art style to a story about one's place in the universe and the many issues and themes that surround it. This is a manga that anyone can enjoy and that everyone should read at some point in their lives.