How did David know the Engineer's mission again??

Before he holds Earth in his hands, a bunch of laser light beams all point to Earth. Then after the holograms abruptly stop, the only planet left is a little floating Earth on the desk of the ship's navigation console. So it seemed pretty likely (since David understood how to operate the ship's controls) that their destination was Earth.

Yes, although the soundtrack might have made it hard to hear, I could hear the "space jockeys" communicating verbally. David would surely have heard it, and if he knew their language, he should have figured out something of their mission. Perhaps he did brief Weyland, but Weyland was so arrogant that he wouldn't mind Earth being wiped out so long as he is immortal. Did Weyland say to David "Tell him who I am" before "tell him why I'm here".? Weyland thinks he's some special case.

Understand your confusion, but this script is a real mess when it comes to logic... there is none.

@Ess, @ Hadley thanks, both answers make sense.

The script is about a bunch of people and one adroid. Not a gathering of Vulcans. Since when is logic going to be the [u]only[/u] factor?

What I assume is that after the hollograms had finish present and the camera cut through the scene where it shows a small shape, which is the earth is growing, from there I assume david knew that the engineer's target is towards the earth.

This movie sets up concepts that are never explored. NOT ONE! What was the writer doing just making up random situations? Think you lazy MF! At least Bladerunner explored its theme of what it is to be human and gives you a payoff. Oh yeah, I forgot. Prometheus was written by a T.V. writer, no follow through needed , just set up the next episode and some other writer will fix it. Someone please retire Ridley Scott for letting them ruin his last opportunity to make a good sci fi flick.

RE: lousy characters The mission whose objective is to meet your God in an unknown planetary system requires people who are faith-less, reckless, devil-may-care, mercenary, and most of all foolish. I think there's a lot of the Garden of Eden myth in this story. Remember how God forbids Adam & Eve (could be represented by Shaw & Holloway) to eat from Tree of Knowledge aka Curiosity ?

doubel post

I think the concepts are explored, but the conclusions are not supposed to be reached in episode one, but surely you can draw your own? They do give plenty of hints to just about everything, as far as I can see. Plenty of ref herrings too.

[u]RE: lousy characters The mission whose objective is to meet your God in an unknown planetary system requires people who are faith-less, reckless, devil-may-care, mercenary, and most of all foolish. I think there's a lot of the Garden of Eden myth in this story. Remember how God forbids Adam & Eve (could be represented by Shaw & Holloway) to eat from Tree of Knowledge aka Curiosity ?[/u] There's a mixture of believers and non believers on board. Weyland, Shaw and Holloway are believers. They believe they have been INVITED to LV-223. There's also a mixture of foolish and cautious. Vickers is the most cautious. They only reason she is even on board is due to the power struggle with her father, nobody would pay her any respect in the board room if he is alive, even if absent. You seem surprised that they would find scientists who are faithless, and that people who are willing to travel for years on a ship where the destination and mission is on a "need to know " basis, are going to be the considered risk averse types.