The future appears bleak with the incapacitation of Weir and multiple injuries among the senior members of the expedition. With the city damaged, running out of power and drifting in space, cut off from Earth, the Atlantis expedition has to rely on their own resourcefulness to save Atlantis, and by extension themselves, from death and destruction. Colonel Samantha Carter joins as a regular and acts as the expedition leader.[11] She appeared in the episode "Lifeline" after helping to find and land Atlantis on its new home planet; however, it is stated that she has been ordered back to the SGC at this point. In episode 3, however, under the IOA's orders, Carter returns to Atlantis as the new leader of the expedition