- Besides the backfire, how was she? - Real sweet, Murph.
It's no X-15, but she handles like a real beaut.
- Yeah, she's cherry. - Hey, Chaddie. You piece of shit.
They'll let anyone land a plane in this godforsaken town.
Yeah. Navy still handing out wings like candy, I see.
- Oh, my bad. - Pardon me.
- No, that was my fault. - Sorry.
Ah, hey.
- Weren't you... - The Tumbler Inn. Friday night.
You were with your friend.
- Likes the two-step? Yeah? - Yeah, she likes to have fun.
- Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that. - No.
- So, what are you doing here? - So, what are you doing here?
- You first. - I was just...
What's a pretty girl like you doing all the way out here?
- Your boyfriend a pilot or something? - No. No.
- I came here by myself. - Uh-huh.
Always wanted to learn how to fly.
Come on.
What? Pretty girls can't be pilots?
Well, I suppose they can. I just,
I don't know any who want to.
Well, you do now.
I've always wanted to learn how to fly, ever since I was a kid.
Say, you wouldn't happen to know any instructors, would you?
Someone that could give a girl her first lesson?
Just gonna ease it into a nice altitude for ya.
Ahh.
There you go.
Best seat in the house.
Never gets old.
You're gonna let me fly? Now?
You gotta start sometime.
Don't worry about a thing, okay?
I'm right here with ya.
Push in.
Houses get bigger.
Pull back.
Whoo. Houses get smaller.
Let's level that off.
There you go.
Okay, your turn.
Okay, here I go.
Back. Houses are smaller.
Okay, so you see how you're starting to lose speed?
Uh-huh.
Okay, push down.
Push down on the wheel. We'll go a little bit faster.
- Is this what's called a stall? - That's it.
Down, honey. Down on the... Push the wheel in.
Oh! What are you doing? Ohh!
Well, did I do it right, Mister Navy Pilot Man?
Oh, shit.
Ohh. Do... Oh!
Do that again.
Ahh.
How long you been flying?
725 hours. If anyone's counting.
Wow. You really had me going.
Why the whole... Why not just...
Americans across the political spectrum are asking,
"Are American women falling behind
their counterparts in the Soviet Union?"
This in the wake of the moon landing of female cosmonaut,
Anastasia Belikova,
who has become an overnight sensation across the globe.
The photograph taken of her on the lunar surface,
smiling in pure joy,
has become an iconic image, splashed across the front pages
of magazines and newspapers around the world.
Belikova has been likened to Rosie the Riveter,
up until now, a uniquely American image
that symbolized female strength in the 1940s.
This latest Soviet success has cast doubt on NASA's priorities
as the rest of the world celebrates
the incredible moment in the history of womankind.
We were converting the third stage of a Saturn V
into an orbiting workshop.
Von Braun called it Skylab.
Construction is already underway in Huntsville.
But it is still early enough to change the trajectory
of the conversion process.
Current thinking is to take what would have been Skylab
and strip it down.
Reduce the weight until we have a launchable habitat module
for our new permanently-manned moon base, Moonlab.
And how many military personnel can we fit inside that thing?
Doesn't look that big.
It'll be manned by three astronauts at a time for the first stages
until the kinks are ironed out,
and then there'll be further expansions
that can include military aspects.
What exactly are the Pentagon's plans in that regard?
How soon will this Moonlab be ready?
Two years, give or take.
Jesus.
You know, first we have to find a place to land the damn thing.
Uh-huh.
Apollos 13, 14 and 15 are being re-tasked
to survey for potential sites for the base.
And then we have to analyze those results.
We look at geology, we do trade studies,
resource budgeting, system analysis.
Change of plans, gentlemen.
I thought you weren't back until tomorrow.
No, I wasn't, but the boss threw me a curve,
and I thought I better get back ASAP.
Uh, could you give us a minute, General?
Well, this can't be good.
Not if it involves Shorty Powers, it can't.
I am so misunderstood.
The president feels it's of national importance
that America equals the Soviets
in its great achievement of landing a woman on the moon.
You mean his poll numbers are down with women.
To this end, Nixon wants us to put a woman on the moon.
- Preferably a blonde. - You can't be serious.
- What about Moonlab? - What about what?
Our lunar base.
That's a terrible name.
This is bullshit, Tom.
We're on track to actually beat the Soviets for a change.
We can't keep...
Establishing a base on the moon is still our top priority,
but so is putting a female astronaut on the moon.
They're both top priority. Co-top priorities.
Anybody tell the president
that we don't have any female astronauts?
Well, I think he's aware.
Every newspaper, magazine, talk show and newscast
is pointing it out on a daily basis.
Can't just put a woman on the moon. She has to be an astronaut.
There are procedures, training, tests.
And I can't just train one woman.
I'll need at least 20 candidates to find one who can pass muster.
For God's sake, Deke.
This is just something to throw
the women's libbers and The New York Times.
You don't need to go through the whole rigmarole.
Just find a nice-enough looking lady pilot,
put her in a space suit,
teach her to walk down the goddamn ladder, and take her picture.
Nobody gets into a spacecraft in this program
that I haven't certified.
The second that changes, my resignation will be on your desk.
I don't think any of us, including the president,
would enjoy the bad press
that would result from Mr. Slayton's resignation.
It's fine.
You wanna train 20 women to find one? Go right ahead.
The press called them the Mercury 13.
Each was an experienced pilot
with hundreds or thousands of hours of flight time.
Each passed the entire battery of physical and psychological tests
given the original Mercury Seven male astronauts.
Program was killed before they could attend
flight training in Pensacola.
I remember.
John Glenn really hated that whole thing.
Well, Glenn's not flying anymore.
And he's a Democrat, so his opinion doesn't matter.
Are any of these ladies still flying? What was this? Ten years ago?
It was shut down seven years ago.
And of the 13 pilots, exactly two are still flying.
The rest stopped because of kids, husbands, that sort of thing.
Who's left?
Molly Cobb.
Set aviation records for long-distance solo flight,
won several racing awards,
qualified in single and multi-engine aircraft,
and was first in her class in Mercury 13,
but she's not really what the president's looking for.
The hell does that mean?
I mean, she's a bit rough around the edges.
We need Marlo Thomas, not Danny Thomas.
Jesus Christ, Shorty. This isn't a beauty contest.
I'm telling you, the president is gonna want a more enticing woman
to be America's first Moon Maiden.
"Moon Maiden"?
- I'm working on a press release. - Keep working.
Well, maybe she'll get lucky and wash out
in favor of a Playmate of the Month.
But for now...
Patty Doyle.
Only other member of the Mercury 13 still flying,
mainly helicopters.
She passed the Mercury test with flying colors.
Finished second in her class behind Cobb.
She'll do.
Danielle Poole.
Twenty-five years old, has a bachelor's of math and science...
Perfect. She's in.
Hang on. I'm not letting her in just because she's black.
That's exactly why you're letting her in.
I do not need Jesse Jackson up my ass
or Ralph Abernathy back here with his damn mules
making all that commotion.
This time we're getting ahead of the story.
She's got 1,500 hours in the air, a commercial pilot's license,
and she already works here at NASA.
She's an engineer over with the computer ladies.
You see?
Fine.
Okay, that's our group then.
Not quite.
Great. Now what?
Just got off the phone with Ron Ziegler.
Who?
White House press secretary. This won't be good either.
Ziegler remembered this article from a couple years ago
and showed it to the president, who thought it was a great idea.
Thought what was a great idea?
Huh! Gordo will lose his mind.
Be serious, Shorty.
I am. I mean, let's face it.
We do not have one John Glenn in that group,
- and it's not even close. - I don't know.
A couple of them look like they're starting to lose their hair.
Who in this group is the all-American girl?
The one people are gonna love and take into their hearts
and feel good about doing it?
John Glenn wasn't "John Glenn" until he became "John Glenn".
John Glenn was always "John Glenn".
And that's why he was chosen for Mercury.
If the president wants Tracy Stevens,
then Tracy Stevens he will have.
America's space couple.
That's Gordo's wife.
She's a mother, for Chrissake. How's she gonna manage that?
Get her a nanny.
- What if she says no? - Change her mind.
- What if she flunks out? - See that she doesn't.
I make the crew selections. I thought that was clear.
I didn't say put her on a crew. I said don't flunk her out.
She can be the goddamn mascot for all I care. But she's in.
You think Gordo's gonna be all right
with his wife working the same place he does?
How'd you like to see Barbara in the hallways, Tom?
Or Mary?
Not to mention his... shenanigans.
Come on. We can't do this.
Just give him something he wants. Make it worth his while.
I don't care what you have to do. Just do it. She's in.
I think maybe Tracy and I need to discuss this in private
before, you know, we arrive at anything definite.
Yes.
Sorry, hon?
Yes, I'll do it.
- Great news. - There's my girl.
Everyone's going to be very happy to hear that, Tracy.
- Welcome aboard. - I won't let you down, Deke.
No worries there, Tracy.
See you back at the ranch.
Holy shit.
Look at you. Astronaut candidate Tracy Stevens.
Ahh. That is crazy. I mean, wow.
So, you're just okay with this?
Sure. Why wouldn't I be?
I mean, if you think it's a good idea, then I'm all for it.
- What's Deke giving you? - Huh?
No, Deke... I mean, you know Deke.
He gave you a slot.
He doesn't throw out crew slots willy-nilly.
I mean, he's a son of a bitch on that front.
Let me tell you.
He...
- Fifteen. He gave me slot on Apollo 15. - There it is. Yeah.
That does not matter right now.
What's important is you.
You're gonna be an astronaut candidate.
No. I'm gonna be an astronaut.
One day I'm gonna have one of those pins on my collar just like you.
Someone's got a fire up her ass.
I like it. A lot.
We should celebrate. Steaks at the Lamplighter.
- Mm. - Huh?
No, let's try the new Chinese place. I'll go get dressed.
Hey, come on, you look great.
I'll only be a minute.
And although NASA has not released the names
of the female candidates accepted to the program,
we've learned that one of the ladies is none other than
the wife of astronaut Gordon "Gordo" Stevens.
Mrs. Stevens was a pilot herself when she met her future husband,
a story chronicled in Look magazine
under the heading "Love in the Skies".
May I please be excused?
- Yes, you may. - Thank you.
I mean, it's just embarrassing, Ed.
Orders, you know. Straight from the top.
So, Tracy Stevens is gonna fly in space?
Deke's call, you know?
I heard he threatened to resign
if they took crew selection away from him.
Well, you don't seem very bothered by it.
I mean...
Not really my concern, you know? I'm focused on 15.
But I don't think it's a great idea...
Not a great idea?
Ed, they are making a mockery of what you do.
Well...
I mean, you have trained and you've worked and you've suffered.
You've taken enormous risks over years
to get where you are. And now what?
Now these women, they're just gonna waltz in and get pinned and fly.
And why? Because the Soviets did?
I... It's... It's...
Look. Ed, she's not remotely capable of doing what you do.
None of them are.
Couple of them supposed to be pretty good pilots.
But you're probably right.
- Jesus, Ed. - 'Course you're right. You're 100% right.
- Got to be kidding me! - I'm sorry.
I'm...
I'm sorry.
Um...
"Love in the Skies".
- May I sit here? - Of course.
Thank you.
I'm Tracy.
Danielle.
Well, look what the cat dragged in.
I had a feeling you'd be here, Molly.
Beats the circus.
Looks like we're the only two Mercurys still kicking tires.
Yeah. Well, it's good to know you'll be right behind me.
Just like the old days.
Ladies, take your seats. We'll get this show on the road.
My name is Deke Slayton.
I'm head of the astronaut office,
and I'm here to welcome you to NASA.
Congratulations. As of this moment,
you are officially astronaut candidates.
Affectionately referred to from this point on as ASCANs.
You come from near and far and all across America.
Those of you who were part of the Mercury 13,
Patty Doyle, Molly Cobb,
I know you've waited for this day for a long time.
But these aren't the Mercury tests.
No.
This is a rigorous, 24-hour-a-day,
seven-day-a-week training program
preparing you for space travel.
There are 20 of you here today.
I expect that number to be far less a year from now.
Honestly,
I don't know if any of you will still be here.
Here's how this works.
I'm going to be grading you as we go along.
And everything you do will be graded.
Pilot performance, academics, your character and motivation.
I'll post results periodically.
If your name's not on the list, you're cut.
Get your stuff and go home.
Kill the lights. Let's get to the program overview.
Basic science programs, jet qualification, celestial navigation,
simulator training, guidance, navigation and control training.
In Moscow today, Premier Alexei Kosygin
accused the Nixon administration
of planning to put missiles
on the recently proposed American moon base
in violation of the Space Treaty of 1967.
The White House denies the accusation,
saying it will not be the first country
to introduce weapons in space.
Tensions are as high as they've ever been
as the "race for a base" continues.
Fifty bucks says this whole thing doesn't make it past month two.
I don't know.
I think we're going all the way this time, Molly.
Last time you said that,
we ended up spending the night in a Tulsa drunk tank.
That was a long time ago.
Yeah.
Just don't go getting your hopes up
beyond anything other than the here and now.
Things ain't changed that much.
You ever flown a jet before?
Couple times.
I've always wanted to.
- You're not married? - No.
But you're so pretty.
- You sound like my mother. - Yeah, that can't be good.
It's not.
Oh, here comes Janice.
She's carrying too much speed.
Told ya.
She porpoised.
Deke's not gonna like that.
Stevens, you're up!
Shit.
So, if you enter these two parameters, you'll be fine.
Cabin pressure's good, Trace.
I mean, Candidate Stevens.
Check your oxygen regulator.
Got a good blinker, Commander Baldwin.
Start with an easy turn to the left.
You push the throttle on a prop plane, you get an immediate result.
Jets, you gotta think way ahead.
- Copy that. - Let's make an easy turn to the right.
Copy.
Airfield in view, ten o'clock, five miles.
You ready to crash, I mean, land this sucker?
Copy that. Yes, sir.
Remember what we talked about the other day. T-38 lands fast.
So, you come in slow, you'll stall.
Come in fast, you'll land long.
Copy that.
All right, here we go.
Watch your airspeed. 170, you're fast. Push the throttles back.
All right, still fast, 160. Keep working the throttles off.
Here we go. Now flare. Nose up. Nose up.
Women applicants will be interviewed today
for the new space program
that will send an American man and woman team of astronauts
as the first couple on the moon.
Hello?
Danny, look who's here.
Hi, Mom.
- Hi, baby. How was your day? - Good.
Missed you.
Thank you so much. I'm sorry I'm late.
- It's fine. Boys already had their dinner. - Wow.
Hey, you two, cut it out. Do not point those at each other.
Yeah, we were doing emergency egress drills,
and so, there's no way to handle a phone in that suit.
It's no problem, honestly.
Yeah, Ed told me that you made it through the first cut.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Yeah, Ed's, uh...
you know, Ed's really been a help with training.
You know, I don't think I could've gotten this far without him.
I'm glad that he's been a help.
You know, he puts his all into everything that he does.
Oh, yeah.
I just hope that he's focused enough on 15.
'Course he is.
If anything,
it's me trying to keep my head above water.
It's, uh... it's not easy.
Well, it's not supposed to be easy, Tracy.
Hey, Danny, thank Mrs. Baldwin.
Go get your jacket on. Let's get going.
- Thank you. - You're welcome. See you soon, buddy.
- Have a good night, Shane. - Good night.
- Thanks again, Karen. - Mm-hmm.
Let's go get your brother.
Let's put everything away, all right?
To safely return the crew,
the command module has to enter Earth's atmosphere
at exactly the right angle
while coming in at 25,000 miles per hour.
That's 36,000 feet per second...
like a meteorite.
That's literally what you are.
And if you plunge through at a steep angle, you'll burn up.
But if you hit the atmosphere too shallow,
you'll just bounce off back into space.
- Cart. - Huh?
Four-letter word for "wagon".
I understand the reentry equations.
I hope so.
Let's find out.
Pop quiz.
Janice?
I guess she didn't make the cut.
I couldn't have done it without you nipping at my heels, Doyle.
Fifth. Dammit.
Oh, God.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Hell's bells, Cobb.
Double or nothing?
Rack 'em.
- You notice it yet? - What's that?
How every guy in this bar is trying to pretend
he doesn't hate the fact that we're standing here.
'Cause you know what we are?
We're change in living color.
Us standing here means that
their time on top of the shitpile's coming to a close,
and they don't like it one bit.
Give it up, Doyle.
They'll get around to screwin' us over,
just like they did last time.
Not them I'm worried about.
Look at them.
They just waltzed into this program
like we weren't trying to get this done ten years ago.
Come on. They're not so bad.
They got no idea how hard it's gonna be
when the shit hits the fan and they shut this thing down.
And you know it's gonna happen, right?
And they all have to go back to their miserable little lives
in bumfuck wherever.
I feel sorry for 'em.
Except for the astro wife.
She is gonna be just fine going back
to her cushy little life and her hubby.
The scariest thing I ever flew was an S-2 Pitts.
Oh, damn.
That aircraft will kill you in a heartbeat.
- Yeah. - Mm-hmm.
Wow.
How about you, Tracy?
Oh, uh...
Well, you know. Uh...
My brother actually taught me to fly in a Piper Cub.
It's not state of the art or anything, I know, but...
You know, actually...
One time, he had me try the AT-6.
Oh, golly.
And that move from 40 to 600 horsepower...
it was a real eye-opener.
I'll bet.
No, but, if I'm honest,
I haven't really flown much in the last few years, so...
Well, that's understandable. You got two kids.
Yeah, I guess.
I mean...
flying just didn't seem like an option as a career, you know?
I ended up a nurse.
NICU... for a while anyway.
I was a secretary.
Switchboard operator.
Computer.
What's that?
We did calculations and some engineering at NASA.
But that wasn't nearly as glamorous as all this.
You know what? Gordo gave me so much shit for coming here tonight.
- Come on. - I'm serious.
He said he wouldn't even have dreamt
of stepping foot in this place,
in the Outpost, unless he had his astronaut pin.
It's not a church. It's a bar with a roach problem.
Mm-hmm.
Some of these guys act like it's a nightly communion.
- Oh, yeah. - They're not the only ones.
Well, Patty's nice. Molly, she's, uh...
I don't know. I just thought she'd be more encouraging.
- Mm-hmm. - You know?
She's not here to make friends. And she's right.
I mean, I like all of you, but
only one of us is gonna be chosen.
Well...
till then, can I buy y'all another round?
Yes.
Blackjack, Houston for Danielle.
Please give us a status on our pH indicator for fuel cell one.
Copy that, Houston. I've got barber poles on fuel cell one.
The other two talk-backs are nominal.
Snap to it.
You okay?
Yeah. Early morning.
Blackjack, Houston for Tracy.
Please open all four Helium-1 iso valves.
Copy that, Houston. Opening helium system one.
It's right there.
Nice job, Blackjack. We see good RCS tank pressurization.
You're welcome.
Fail the guidance computer. Have them come in manually.
That's just mean. You know they're not ready for that.
We don't have time to wait for them to be ready.
"What we've got here is a failure to communicate".
Cool Hand Luke.
- I grew up in movie theaters. - Hmm.
- You see Butch Cassidy? - Love the movie. Hate the music.
Ah, a traditionalist.
You must love Magnificent Seven.
Well, yeah. It's the best Western soundtrack ever recorded.
Better than Red River? You got a lot to learn, kid.
Work now. Flirt later.
Yes, ma'am. Right away, ma'am. Working. Aye, aye, ma'am.
Master caution alarm.
Primary guidance has failed. We need to do this manually.
- What? - Take manual control.
Okay, we need to maintain constant g's.
Watch your g-meter and your EMS scroll.
- Yeah, I got it. - Don't get over four g's or we'll burn up.
I got it.
- Your attitude rates are getting high. - I see it.
You're fighting the deadband. Lower your gains.
Stop being a backseat commander.
Shit! We're coming in too steep. Accel's at seven g's.
Pulling lift vector up.
Too late. We're gonna burn up.
Great. We're dead.
End of sim. Prepare for debrief.
Sorry, y'all.
So, what, you didn't get much sleep?
Was it Gordo?
Was it the kids?
Was it the dog?
- Look... - You know, I don't give a good goddamn.
You're tired?
Your job is not to be tired.
Yeah, I know, I know. I'm trying to just...
You ain't flown that much,
you got kids, you're not an engineer.
A lot of exceptions have been made for you, Tracy Stevens.
So, I don't get how you see fit to complain about any damn thing.
What are you saying, Cobb?
What I'm saying is that other than being a pretty face
and married to Gordo Stevens,
I don't get what you've done to deserve still being here.
I know why I'm here, I know why Patty's here,
and Dani and pretty much everyone except for you, astro wife.
Why are you still here?
And she's right. I mean, why am I still doing this, huh?
Why am I still doing this, Gordo? It's a joke.
Hey, don't talk like that.
Hon, you got a real shot at this.
And Shorty, he said your final jet scores
were amongst the highest in the class.
- You're a good pilot. - No.
Trace, you've always been a good pilot.
I was a good pilot eight years ago.
Now I'm just a housewife t
rying to remember basic radio navigation.
And why are you talking to Shorty Powers about my test scores?
He mentioned it in passing.
I think you gotta see this out, Trace.
I should've been bounced weeks ago.
And everyone knows that the only reason I'm still here
is because Shorty wants his space couple.
Come on, Tracy.
I'm a laughingstock, Gordo.
I am a laughingstock,
and you are fine with your wife being humiliated like this
because you don't wanna lose a seat on 15.
- This isn't about me. - It's always about you!
Every goddamn thing is about you.
Don't start this shit.
It's been that way since the day we met.
This entire household revolves around King Gordo.
Don't change the subject.
This is about you wanting to punch out
the first time something gets a little tough.
"A little tough"?
Have you listened to one goddamn word I've said?
I've listened to everything you've said.
"Sim training was hard,
jet qualification was hard, math is hard.
Everything's so hard. I may as well just lie down and quit".
Jesus Christ, Trace. Show some goddamn... guts!
Don't let something small as that run you outta the program.
So, that's what you think of me, huh?
That I don't have guts?
That I'm the quitter?
That's what you're talking about doing, isn't it?
Packing up your toys because some girl
said something mean to me in the sim.
Get out!
I'm going, all right.
I said get the fuck out!
Jesus.
Oh, God.
On the moon? Is that even possible?
Ray, how sure are you that those bright spots are really ice?
I'm not. I can't be.
It's just one of the possibilities the data suggests.
The instruments on the lunar orbiter weren't designed
for that kind of analysis.
We'll know more after Apollo 15.
Our CM's going up with an enhanced infrared photo-spectrometer.
- Get us better data. - I'll tell you this.
I mean, if he's right,
if there is water up there, that changes everything.
- How so? - Well, sir, we can drink it.
So we don't have to haul up our own.
And we can use it to grow plants hydroponically.
But the really exciting thing, sir,
we can electrically separate H2O into hydrogen and oxygen,
then liquefy them to produce...
English, please.
He's saying we can use it to make rocket fuel.
Same kind we use in the upper stages of the Saturn V.
A refueling station on our way to the rest of the solar system.
Good work, Ray. Thanks.
Um, hey, guys.
The president wants to know how we're doing with his women,
specifically Stevens' wife.
He really hopes she's the one.
You can tell him his women are about to do
desert survival training.
You're really doing that?
It's part of the program.
Are you trying to wash them out?
They can't haul a 40-pound pack 20 miles in the desert sun.
They have to be able to handle all aspects of spaceflight,
including survival after a botched landing.
You'll lose half of them out there.
If they can't survive the desert, they can't survive the moon.
Ladies, here's the scenario.
You are flying a solo mission.
Your spacecraft has gone off course,
and you have landed in the desert.
You have your parachute and the spacecraft survival kit.
Strapped to your back is 40 pounds of gear.
You have no maps of the area,
and you are out of radio communication.
Your goal is to make it to a checkpoint due east of your location
in less than 14 hours.
This is not, repeat, not a teamwork-building assignment.
This test will be timed and graded on your individual performance.
Each of you will have a walkie-talkie for use in case of emergency.
But be warned.
Any use of the walkie-talkie for any reason will abort your test,
and you will receive a failing grade.
And in case I haven't made this clear...
this is a must-pass test.
Good luck.
Oh, God.
Got something.
Congratulations, Cobb. Your time is ten hours, 12 minutes.
10:12?
Oh. I was hoping I'd break ten.
I guess being number one will have to do.
Didn't say you were number one.
What?
Hey, Cobb. Catch.
Nine hours, 53 minutes.
Read it and weep.
Well, it's about time, Doyle.
'Cause I was wondering when you'd get around
to beating me at something.
Oh, my God.
Ellen.
I'm not doing it.
What?
I'm not using the walkie-talkie to abort.
Okay.
I think it's busted.
I'm not aborting. I won't fail.
All right. Give me that.
All right. You ready? Breathe.
There you go. There you go. All right.
- Can you feel this? - Mm-hmm.
Yeah?
Can you wiggle your toes?
All right.
It's probably just a bad sprain.
So we're gonna get the swelling down.
And then we're going to get that boot laced up
as tight as your ankle can stand it, all right?
Okay.
We're not gonna get very far with this sun.
What are you doing?
Something I picked up from Gordo.
All right. I got you. There you go.
There you go. Get your arm around me.
- All right. I got you. - Okay.
- You want some? - Ma'am? You guys all right?
If we're both gonna die out here,
I'd at least like to know who I'm dying with.
Trust me, I'm not that interesting.
Come on, you got anything better to do?
What'd you do before this?
After school, I thought about getting a job at an engineering firm,
but my dad convinced me to come home
and work for the family business.
What's the family business?
We're in air transportation.
All right, take a rest.
Air transportation, huh? What, like United Airlines?
No.
Cavalier.
Cavalier?
Cavalier Airlines?
"The only way to fly is Cavalier"?
That's us.
So you're, uh...
Loaded.
Yeah.
Well. There's worse things you could be.
Time to call it.
This is NASA checkpoint one
to all astronaut candidates still on the training course.
Your allotted time has elapsed, and the evaluation is complete.
Radio in with your approximate position
and we'll get some rescue gear out to your location.
Over.
This is NASA checkpoint one to all candidates still on the course.
You are ordered to check in immediately. Please respond. Over.
Don't have to shout, Deke.
Medics!
This is so embarrassing.
It would've been worse if they carried you out on a stretcher.
- Right? - Ma'am, stay there.
Thank you.
Not a teamwork exercise, Stevens. I told you that.
Waverly should've called abort, and you should've come in.
Well,
she wouldn't call abort, and I wasn't gonna leave her behind.
Neither would you, sir.
This is bullshit.
Couldn't have done it without you nipping at my heels, Cobb.
Girls, look at this.
There's some letters here.
One for Molly from a little girl in Munich.
One for me from Tokyo.
Patty.
Cheyenne, Santiago...
Yeah, I don't need to listen to fan mail.
"Dear Ms. Doyle, what's it like being an astronaut?
When I grow up, I wanna go into space.
We hope to see you up in space real soon.
Keep on dreaming.
Love, Lorraine and Janice".
- "Dear Ms. Waverly". - "Dear Danielle".
"My favorite subject in school is science".
"To Mrs. Tracy Stevens,
you have become a big inspiration in my life".
"My parents always told me that
I could be anything I wanted when I grow up.
But I never really believed them till now".
"One day, I want to travel
to outer space like you're going to do".
"I can't wait to see what you'll accomplish at NASA.
- And I look forward to following your..." - "All the best".
- "Sincerely". - "Best wishes".
- "Jennifer". - "Caroline".
- "Alyson". - "Alicia".
- You wanted to see me. - Have a seat.
Got a lot of respect for what you did out there.
Risking yourself to help another candidate showed a lot of heart.
Oh.
- It was nothing, sir. - No, you're wrong.
Remember, I went through the same training on Mercury.
Pretty sure Shepard slipped some rocks in my pack.
But this next stuff we're doing...
it's dangerous, especially the LEM simulator.
You make one mistake in that bedstead...
Yeah, I can handle it.
You just don't have the skill set, Tracy.
This stuff isn't like riding a bike.
You should be proud of what you've done so far.
But...
You're gonna cut me.
No.
I think you should withdraw from the program.
I don't understand.
- You kept me on the list. - I did.
You showed guts.
But guts isn't enough, not anymore.
Well, I'm not gonna drop out, Deke.
I want this.
I didn't know how much until it was right in front of me,
but I do now.
So.
If you want me out, you're gonna have to cut me yourself, sir.
We call this baby "the flying bedstead".
Its official name is the lunar landing training vehicle.
The LLTV is designed to emulate
the flight dynamics of the lunar module spacecraft.
Flies like a helicopter, but it is not a helicopter.
There are several important distinctions
that y'all need to be aware of
before you take the controls.
See, this is a finicky beast.
Neil Armstrong almost bought the farm in it a couple years ago.
If he'd ejected two seconds later,
he would not have made it home, much less to the moon.
The flight plan for today is basic takeoff and landing maneuvers.
Each of you will fly the bedstead up to an altitude of 300 feet,
hover for 30 seconds,
execute a 360-degree clockwise spin,
hover for another 30 seconds,
and then land the vehicle on the landing target.
No frills, nothing fancy.
Just up, hover, spin, hover and land.
- We clear? - Clear.
Tracy?
Clear, sir.
Flight order. Tracy, Patty, Ellen, Dani, Molly.
Stand by for liftoff in three, two, one.
Go. Let's go. Move it out!
All emergency personnel
teport immediately to Flight Ops tarmac.
Situation red.
Repeat: All emergency personnel
report immediately to Flight Ops tarmac.
Situation red.
- Tracy! - Gordo, Gordo.
- Tracy! Tracy. - No, no. It's okay.
Gordo!
Patty. It was Patty.