I think he's better looking than Crossfield.
How would you like to go up with this guy as your copilot?
They've got a man up there. It's Gagarin.
We know. Sit down.
All right, give them a break.
Is it true you were ready to go and the flight was cancelled?
Is it true we could've beaten the Russians?
Why didn't we send a man up instead of a monkey?
I think we ought to be...
...forthright, gracious, and magnanimous and say...
...the Russians beat the pants off us.
No sense in kidding ourselves about it.
But the space age has begun, and there's plenty of work.
Who will be the second man in space?
You mean who will be the first free man into space?
We know it'll be Glenn. Just tell us when.
That's a secret.
I'm tired of being "forthright, gracious, and magnanimous".
I'm tired of stupid questions from the press.
I'm tired of smocks, of engineers telling us what we can't do.
I'm tired of everybody saying we are not pilots.
I'm tired of monkeys.
Most of all, I'm sick and tired of being second to those...
...those darned Russians. It's time we...
Got someone up there!
Fucking A, bubba.
- Exactly. - Let's talk to them.
Let's get this thing on the road.
I'm tired of messing around.
We'll just tell 'em we're ready. We're ready to go.
In these three weeks since the Russian Gagarin's flight surprised everybody...
... one wretched event has followed another.
People have begun to say our rockets always blow up...
... our boys always botch it.
Some say this is not the time to try desperate deeds to beat the Soviets.
The question really is:
Are we actually ready to launch a man into space?
And yet out here at this very moment sits a rocket, waiting in the night.
Soon, one American astronaut will climb atop that rocket...
... in what may be the greatest death-defying stunt ever broadcast.
The identity of America's first astronaut has been kept a secret...
... until almost the final moment.
The question everyone has asked is: Which one will be first?
Not very funny, John.
But I do appreciate it, John.
I surely do.
Vaya con Dios, José.
Dear Lord, please don't let me fuck up.
I didn't quite copy that. Say again, please.
I said, everything's A-okay.
Well, that's what I thought you said.
He said everything is A-okay.
He says everything is A-okay. And there you have it.
Roger. Auto retro-jettison switch.
Retro-heater switch... off.
Landing-bag switch... auto.
Roger. Landing-bag switch... auto.
This is it, ladies. This is for "Life" magazine.
My God! They're going after the diaper-service man.
We don't have a diaper-service man.
Oh, Louise, your lawn!
Why are they here?
What do they want?
We are here live at the house of Louise Shepard...
...wife of Astronaut Al Shepard, who is about to go into space.
Wanted to keep you informed, Mrs. Shepard.
Everything's A-okay. Nothing to worry about.
Just some delays.
What kind of delays?
There's another hold from NASA, another delay.
And Alan Shepard sits there patiently waiting.
What can be going through a man's mind at this moment?
I have to urinate.
Urinate?
Urinate? No. We did not think of that.
This is only a 15-minute flight.
The man's been up there for hours.
Could he do it in his suit?
It might be dangerous. To introduce liquid...
...into the pure oxygen of the capsule and the pressure suit...
...might cause a short circuit. It could start a fire.
No. Tell him he cannot.
Listen, old buddy, they promise we'll stop at the next gas station.
Request that you remain in a holding pattern till then.
- You sure you just want a little smidgen? - About a half a cup.
- And nothing in it? - That's fine.
All right.
Alan had four cups of coffee before he went to work this morning.
All this waiting is driving me crazy.
I had a little accident.
Request permission to relieve bladder.
Look, the man has got to go.
It's either that or we get the lug wrench and pry him out.
Do it in the suit.
José, permission granted...
... to wet your diapers anytime, son.
Suit thermometer says Freon flow jumping from 30 to 45.
Left lower-chest sensor.
No shortout. Moving up back.
Well...
I'm a wetback now.
It is questionable if we can proceed.
I'm cooler than you are. Why don't you fix your problems and light this candle!
He's right! Let's light this candle!
He surely is! Light the candle!
Resume the countdown.
T minus ten seconds...
... nine, eight, seven...
Ignition.
You're on your way, José.
We have liftoff, and the clock is operating.
I think we'll be able to talk to one of the astronaut wives...
... if not to Louise Shepard herself.
He has re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and the g-forces should be building up.
Louise, he's coming down!
We almost missed this.
Eight.
That's nine.
I'm okay!
The Vice President, who is Chairman of our Space Council...
... and who bears great responsibilities in this field...
... the members of the House and Senate...
... Space Committee, who are here today to award you...
... this decoration, which has gone from the ground up.
What was Jackie like?
She's very nice.
We talked about all kinds of things.
My Gus goes up next.
I can't wait to talk to Jackie after that.
You'll love her. She's so nice. We talked about the kids.
Mr. Shepard, sign here.
I never realized...
...a gruff, mean son of a bitch like you could be so popular.
How'd you get to go up before me?
Even before "Mr. Clean, the Marine".
Charm, Hot Dog. Pure charm.
Watch this.
Hey, sis, how are you doing?
So-so. How are you doing?
I ain't doing anymore.
Damn thing's dragging in the mud, and I can't get it up.
Charm, Gus, that's pure charm.
How'd you like one of these?
I can get one of those from a dime store.
Not one that's been in outer space.
I'm taking these up with me tomorrow.
Would you like a souvenir after I get written in history?
Well, I might, if it's been in outer space.
See you after outer space.
You got to think ahead to the future.
Folks have a taste for things that have been there.
I'll give you one of these dimes I'm taking up so you can play with it...
...and dream about outer space.
Why don't you just make sure you don't screw the pooch?
Oh, God, look at this.
Go get 'em, Deke!
Grissom has just reached the apex of his flight into outer space...
... and will be coming down with the valuable data...
... needed for the future flights that will actually orbit the Earth.
He will be re-entering the atmosphere now.
Liberty Bell 7, Liberty Bell 7, this is Hunt Club 1. Over.
We're in orbit at this time around the capsule.
Are you ready to come in and hook on?
Roger. This is Hunt Club 1...
... waiting for your okay to come in and hook on.
Roger. I've unplugged my suit, so I'm kind of warm now.
Hunt Club 1. Roger.
One, roger.
Roger. Blow the hatch after we hook on.
All right, get ready. Another 15 feet to the right.
If you're ready for me to blow the hatch...
...I'll take my helmet off.
Say again, Liberty Bell.
Waiting for your okay to hook on.
Who designed this?
Say again, Liberty Bell. We can't hear you.
I can't get it off.
Liberty Bell, say again.
This is Hunt Club 1, waiting for your okay.
What happened?
It's all right. He's okay. Go for the capsule.
Help, I'm sinking!
Get the capsule. He can float in that suit.
We need the data in the capsule.
Throw down a line!
Help! Throw down the line!
Hey, I'm sinking!
Forget the fucking capsule!
We can't pull it. It's full of water.
Hey! Help me over here!
We've lost it!
Blow the cable!
Come back here, damn it!
Throw a line down.
I didn't do anything.
I was just lying there.
It just blew.
The hatch just blew.
It must have been a technical malfunction.
The capsule was rocking around a bit.
There were no loose items. I don't see how I could have hit that button.
I was just lying there, flat on my back...
...and it just blew.
Well, what do you think?
Explosive hatches have been on jet fighters for ten years.
The things have been wrung inside out...
...subjected to trial by heat, by water, by shaking, pounding.
We even drop them from a height of 100 feet onto concrete...
...and not one of them has ever "just blown".
Are we going to the White House?
Isn't the President coming?
No ticker-tape parade in New York?
Not even one in Mitchell, Indiana?
No Jackie?
By order of the President of the United States...
...the Distinguished Service Medal...
...is awarded to Captain Virgil I. Grissom...
...who distinguished himself by valor above and beyond the call of duty.
These actions...
...reflect great credit upon himself...
...the Air Force...
...and the United States of America.
You proud, boys?
Hey, look. They filled up the refrigerator.
Pretty good, huh?
Pretty good.
A full refrigerator!
I can see this afternoon is shaping up just great!
And the rest of the day. Tomorrow, too!
What do they want me to do in here?
Cook?
Then risk my life and my kids'...
...by dragging them across that highway to the worst beach in Florida!
Oh, Gus, I wanted to eat in the White House.
I wanted to talk to Jackie about...
...things.
Well, look, I've got to go to the Holiday Inn for some...
...beer call with the guys.
All those years of test flying...
...and all those times I waited and all those times you weren't there!
The military promised...
...and now they are welshing on that damn compact.
Look, I am finally "Mrs. Honorable Astronaut".
But they are treating me like I'm...
...Honorable "Mrs. Squirming Hatch Blower!"
I didn't do anything wrong!
The hatch just blew! It was a glitch! It was a technical malfunction!
Why in hell won't anyone believe me?
I know that.
Gus, I mean are these the goodies?
Is this how the military pays off?
Oh, Gus, they owe you.
But they owe me, too.
They owe me.
They owe me, they owe me so much!
I love you.
We are here with Virgil I. Grissom and his lovely wife, Betty.
Gus has just come back from the second trip in space.
Betty, how do you feel about this trip?
I'm so proud of him.
I think he was wonderful.
We're all proud of Gus Grissom.
Gus, how do you feel about the trip? Was it a success?
It was A-okay.
My God. He lost his capsule but he's keeping his story.
To recap yesterday's dramatic events...
... here we see America's newest hero, Gus Grissom.
He is shouting to save the capsule first.
Pull that in flight test, it's all over for him.
He screwed the pooch, partner. Plain and simple.
Sometimes you get a pooch that can't be screwed.
The President's got his own problems with the Bay of Pigs.
He doesn't want the astronauts' image tarnished.
Nothing these guys do is going to be called a failure.
These astronauts are our Davids.
You think the public would know they're just doing what monkeys have done.
You think a monkey knows he's sitting on a rocket that might explode?
These astronauts know that.
I'll tell you something.
It takes a special man to volunteer for a suicide mission.
Especially when it's on TV.
Old Gus, he did all right.
Though the capsule was lost, our new hero...
... Astronaut Gus Grissom, was saved.
Now President Kennedy has started an even more ambitious space program.
Those who came before us...
... made certain this country...
... rode the first waves of the industrial revolution...
... the first waves of modern invention...
... and the first wave of nuclear power.
And this generation does not intend...
... to founder in the backwash...
... of the coming age of space. We mean to be a part of it.
We mean to lead it.
You know, I always hated flying.
When I met you, you were already a pilot, so I never had a complaint coming.
When you went up in those planes, me and the kids...
We never had any insurance except a couple months' pay.
I always hated all that talk about insurance.
The government spends all kinds of time and money...
...teaching pilots how to be fearless.
But they don't spend a penny teaching you how to be...
...the fearless wife of a test pilot.
But I guess I liked it.
I guess I liked the kind of man who could...
...push the outside of the envelope.
Flyboy.
But I never could stand a man who was one of those "remember-whens".
Those bitter guys that just sit around thinking about old times.
If I ever see that happen...
...I'm going right out the front door.
And you'll never catch me.
I'm a fearless man, but I'm scared to death of you.
No, you're not.
But you ought to be.
What is it?
The Russians have sent Titov up.
Titov's up.
How long?
A day.
A day? A whole day?
He's orbiting over our country right now.
We need a man in orbit or it's all over.
We're scrapping the Redstone and going with the Atlas.
You know what that means.
We haven't had too much luck with that rocket.
We can't take all the precautions we'd like.
- It'll be dangerous. - We're ready.
I said it'll be dangerous.
I said we're ready. 100 percent.
Inside this trim, modest suburban home is Annie Glenn...
... wife of Astronaut John Glenn...
... sharing the anxiety and pride of the world at this tense moment...
... but in a private and crucial way that only she can understand.
The Vice President would like to see Mrs. Glenn.
He's asking for you again.
Tell them no.
I'm sorry, she says no.
You don't understand. It is very important.
The Vice President must see her.
We are told after the mission's success...
... the Vice President will come here and speak with Annie Glenn.
Meanwhile, John Glenn waits for the weather to clear...
... so he can undertake this historic mission.
You know what the Russians want?
They want our peckers in their pockets.
She still says no.
Didn't you tell her I'll bring in ABC-TV...
...NBC-TV, CBS-TV?
Her words, and mine, will be heard by millions.
Where are they going?
I think the flight's been cancelled.
Cancelled?
That's perfect.
I will go in and console her on nationwide TV.
I'll pay her a sympathy call.
The Vice President would like to make a sympathy call if he could.
- No? What do you mean, "No"? - I mean, "No".
What do you mean, "No"?
Somebody get NASA on the line.
I'm going to lean on NASA. I'm going right to the top!
- To the top. - Damn right!
They better tell her to play ball!
There's a problem with your wife.
- Is it serious? - We think it is.
There's a phone hook-up, we've got her on it.
It's me. Are you all right?
What's wrong?
Johnson...
... wants... me...
...on T... V.
The Vice President?
Tell her to let him in with the networks.
It's coverage.
It's important, John.
It means a lot.
Listen to me.
If you don't want the Vice President...
...or the networks, or anyone else in our house, that's it!
As far as I'm concerned, they are not coming in!
And I will back you up 100 percent, and you tell them that!
I don't want Johnson or the others to even put a toe in our house.
You tell them that Astronaut John Glenn told you to say that.
I'll talk to you soon.
You can't do that!
The Vice President's head of the program!
You must think of the program!
You are out of line!
- I'm out of line? - Yes, sir!
I run the show here.
We'll see about that!
And I'm thinking of changing the order of flight assignments!
Who will you get?
You heard what he said.
Take it easy, fellows.
Step aside, pal.
Pilots!
Pansies! Cows!
Gladiolas!
Isn't there anybody who can deal with a housewife?
"Waltzing Matilda", I thought Hank Williams wrote it.
We don't know who wrote it.
It's Australian, right?
Who are you guys?
We're aborigines.
Who are you?
Me?
I'm an astronaut.
Well, what do you do here, Astronaut?
I'm here because a buddy of mine is getting ready to...
...fly overhead. Up in outer space.
And I'll be talking to him on that dish.
Fly over?
You blokes do that, too?
You do that yourself?
Not me, mate.
See that old bloke there?
He know.
He know the moon.
He know the star.
And he know the Milky Way.
He'll give you a hand.
He know.
We're gonna need all the help we can get.
Stand by for final ten-second count.
The clock is operating.
We're underway!
Good Lord, ride all the way. Godspeed, John Glenn.
Zero-g, and I feel fine.
The capsule is turning around.
The view is tremendous!
I can see clear back, a big cloud pattern, towards the Cape.
It's a beautiful sight!
Roger, Friendship 7. You have a go, at least seven orbits.
Roger, Al. Understand, go at least seven orbits.
This is Friendship 7.
Speed is 17,500 miles per hour...
...and we're moving into night.
Full moon rising.
I can almost touch it.
Friendship 7, come in. Do you read?
Friendship 7, come in, please.
This sure was a short day.
Say again, please. Over.
That was the shortest day I've run into.
Kind of passes rapidly, huh?
I can see some lights down there in Australia, Gordo.
Where are they from?
All of Perth and Rockingham have turned their lights on for you.
And we have a few other lights turned on, here and there.
They show up very well.
Thank everybody for turning them on, will you?
We sure will, John. We sure will.
Heading towards daybreak.
Lot of cloud coverage today.
Man, it's beautiful.
Possibly it's the heat shield.
It's loose.
If it comes off...
If the heat shield comes off, he'll burn up.
He'll fry when he tries to re-enter.
Muchea, this is Cape.
We're showing some trouble.
We've got a warning light. Possibly a loose heat shield.
Check your status lights immediately.
He's coming.
John, can you hear me?
Friendship 7, come in, please.
Try something. Anything.
Friendship 7, come in.
This is Friendship 7. Do you read me?
Wait a second.
I see something strange out here.
Oh! My goodness, what the heck is that?
Sparks and needles of some kind all over the sky!
Hey, let me tell you what I'm in up here.
I'm in a mass of very small particles...
...that are brilliantly lit up. Like they're luminescent.
I never saw anything like it.
A shower of them coming by me now.
They're bright yellow. They swirl around the capsule...
... and they're brilliantly lighted.
Do you think they could be alive?
It sounds ridiculous, but they look like fireflies or something.
Maybe some Air Force experiment went amuck.
Could our astronomers have been wrong?
Hello, Capcom, do you read me? This is miraculous!
Could it be those fireflies, or whatever they are?
Of course not. Fireflies?
Roger, Friendship 7.
Will you correlate the actions of the surrounding particles...
...with that of your control jets?
Negative.
I do not think they were coming from my control jets.
I'll tell you what I'll try to do.
I'll try to get some pictures of these little guys.
Sounds like a good idea.
You guys probably think I'm nuts.
They're very beautiful.
Look like fireflies on a summer night.
They just dance around.
Get out of here!
Get out of here, you gadgets!
Heading into daybreak now. Another day.
Leaving the fireflies behind.
I have no idea what they were.
This is Friendship 7.
That was some night. That was really exciting.
He's going into his third orbit.
How much longer are you going to keep him in the dark?
What do we tell him?
He's a pilot. Tell him the condition of his craft.
Glenn is in his third orbit...
... and the flight is going pretty much as planned.
No human individual...
... has ever been so well prepared.
So far the key word on this textbook flight is "operational".
Everything is A-okay.
We haven't been too lucky with the Atlas rocket.
Some say we haven't taken all the safety precautions we'd like to.
Is this true?
No, it's absolutely not true.
The only critical point is the re-entry.
If the capsule is not at the correct angle...
...with the blunt end and heat shield down, it will burn up.
There is only one hope.
It might be possible to leave the retro-rocket package...
...which covers the heat shield, on.
The straps may be strong enough to hold the heat shield in place.
But if this fails...
John, you're going to fly-by-wire for re-entry.
We recommend you do the best you can to keep a zero angle. Over.
Re-entry only three orbits?
That is correct.
Do you have a reason for this?
Not at this time. This is the judgement of Cape Flight.
Do you have a time for going to jettison retro? Over.
We are not sure your landing bag is deployed.
We feel it is possible to re-enter with the retropackage on.
We see no difficulty at this time with that type of re-entry.
Do you read?
Roger.
Understand.
I'll start lining up as carefully as I can in a minute.
See whether scanners will pick up and correct it for good retro-fire attitude.
If not...
...I'll correct it myself.
We're lined up.
Here we go.
What's that sound?
Humming. It's him.
It's all right. He does that.
He can't hear you.
He's hit the ionization blackout.
No communications are possible for a few minutes.
Then we'll know.
Friendship 7, this is Cape. Do you read?
This is Cape. Do you read?
Friendship 7, this is Cape. Do you read?
Automatic systems are not functioning. He's in fly-by-wire...
Finally showed up.
The one with the big engine.
Boy, if we'd only had one of those a few years back.
The bad news is the entire program's probably going to be scrapped.
From now on, the astronaut boys in Houston have got the only ticket.
Barring, of course, some unforeseen event.
The Russians set a new record of 114,000 feet...
...going straight off the ground.
Nobody cares about that kind of record anymore.
All they want now is capsules up in outer space.
I get a feeling this plane might be able to beat that Russian record.
You might be right.
And here they come!
Looky here what I brought you!
Smile, hon.
My fellow citizens...
... America's Mercury astronauts!
Welcome to Houston, your new home.
Your neighbors here and I, we'd like to give you this little barbecue...
... Texas style!
Since you're relocating here, to show appreciation for all you've done...
...Mr. Sharp is contributing the land...
...the contractors the homes...
...and department stores, the furnishings.
Which one are you?
Which one's Glenn? I want to meet him.
He's over there.
I'm going to the moon, I swear to God, I'm on my way.
Hi, little gal. Damned glad to meet you, too.
I heard an awful lot of good things about you, gal.
We got it.
Steak. All the trimmings.
Just like Pancho's.
Steak tastes about the same...
...only there's a lot more trimmings now, Gus.
You know, it's funny.
Here I am, I got $25,000 a year for a magazine contract.
I got a free house with all the furnishings.
Got me a Corvette.
I got a free lunch from one end of America to the other...
...and I ain't even been up there yet.
I noticed that.
Oh, you noticed that? You noticed I hadn't been up there yet?
They're saving the best for last.
Yeah, I guess so, Hot Dog. I guess so.
Just watch you don't screw the pooch.
We're talking to Gordon Cooper. He will be the next to orbit the Earth.
Since you're the last of the original seven and the least well known...
...could you begin by telling us who was the best pilot you ever saw?
Who is the best pilot I ever saw?
I'll tell you.
I've seen a lot of them, and most of them were pictures on a wall...
I said, "pictures on a wall", back at some place that...
...doesn't even exist anymore.
Some of them are...
...right here in this room.
And some of them are...
...they're still out there somewhere, doing what they always do.
Going up each day in a hurtling piece of machinery...
...putting their hides out on the line...
...hanging it out over the edge...
...pushing back the outside of that envelope and hauling it back.
But there was...
...one pilot I once saw who I think truly did have the right...
How close did you ever come to not hauling it back?
Who is the best pilot I ever saw?
Well, you're looking at him.
You got any Beemans?
I might have me a stick.
Loan me some. I'll pay you back later.
Fair enough.
Think I see a plane over here with my name on it.
Now you're talking.
Hey, what's that?
Anyone got clearance?
What kind of a plane is that?
Aircraft on ramp, did you file a flight plan?
I'm taking her up to wring her out a bit. Any objections?
It's Yeager.
No objections.
You are clear to taxi.
He must have clearance. Right?
Yeah. Sure, he must.
It's here someplace.
Now, in honor of...
... these, the greatest pilots in the history of mankind...
... it gives me great pleasure, great pride, to present to you...
... Miss Sally Rand!
Stretch it! Stretch it!
You can do it!
Just a little bit more. 104,000, here you go.
Christ Almighty!
Sir, over there.
Is that a man?
Yeah, you're damn right it is!
We hate to disturb you, buddy, but...
...we've got a launch.
There's millions of people watching, and we thought maybe...
Yep. Well, no sweat. Let's go.
I'm ready when you are, John, 100 percent.
Ten... nine...
Go.
Go, Hot Dog, go!
"Up we go into the wild blue yonder."
Thirty seconds and fuel is go, oxygen is go...
...cabin pressure on the top peg. Altimeter is working.
Have a good ride, buddy. Go!
The sun is coming through the window.
Oh, Lord, what a heavenly light.
The Mercury program was over.
Four years later, Astronaut Gus Grissom was killed...
... along with Astronauts White and Chaffee...
... when fire swept through their Apollo capsule.
But on that glorious day in May, 1963...
... Gordo Cooper went higher, farther...
... and faster than any other American.
Twenty-two complete orbits around the world.
He was the last American ever to go into space alone.
And for a brief moment...
... Gordo Cooper became the greatest pilot anyone had ever seen.