2001: A Space Odyssey: Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

Donning a Mk V spacesuit, Floyd follows Dr. Michaels out to the site. A photographer flashes a photograph of him and the other scientists, a gesture which both amuses and pleases Floyd. The sun comes up, and Floyd marvels that the monolith is seeing its first sunrise. He considers whether it was designed to absorb solar energy, but dismisses it: why would they bury it underground? Looking back to earth, he thinks about the profound implications of such a discovery on human thought and society. Suddenly, Floyd hears several electronic “shrieks.” Looking at his companions, Floyd realizes it isn’t a malfunction of his spacesuit: TMA-1 had “greeted the lunar dawn.”