Possible plot ending bug Patch 1.2

[Deleted User]

Whether this is strictly a "bug" or not I don`t suppose it matters, it is certainly game breaking.

I had started the plot mission Split Espionage and Sabotage(the previous mission was very definitely bugged but that`s common knowledge) to take Captain Robert Pearle to some split sector and place a satellite there. Simple enough.

On my way there however, I decide I would like to upgrade my ship and so I make a stop at my local Argon Shipyard. My new ship bought I transfer everything across, including life support, and I am guessing it is at this point Capt. Pearle went a.w.o.l.

Unknowingly I continued on my way, did a lot of missions, exploration etc.. some day of game time later(maybe 12 hours rt) I resolve to get back to moving the plot along. I go to the split sector, place the satellite.. and nothing happens.

Ah, no Capt. Pearl. I went back to the terran station I picked him up at originally to see if he had reset, no luck there. I then checked back at the shipyard I bought my new ship, and there he was, in the meantime he had set up as a trader. However there was no way of getting him back, if I spoke to him the only dialogue options were the those you get from any generic npc in the game.

With no apparent way of abandoning and restarting the mission, this seems to be the end of my game. But is there any way of resetting plot missions unknown to me? Or some kind of work around?