(JET ENGINES ROARING)
( COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS RATTLING)
HAWK: Whoo-hoo!
1 00,000. ShaII we poke our nose into space, Frank?
FRANK: That's enough. Approaching heat barrier. Let's IeveI off.
Recover One, this is Falcon. Beginning descent now.
TANK: Roger, Daedalus.
Got you on the scope, Frank.
Miss October.
(RADIO PLAYING)
(GRUNTS)
Bing. 1 1 0,000th fIoor, Iadies' Iingerie.
You catch that, Hawk?
She's aII right. She's just taIking to me, that's aII.
HAWK: You trust me, don 't you?
FRANK: We're taking her down. That's an order.
Oh, here we go again.
Frank, Iook at that.
That's where we're going.
I don't know how and I don't know when but. . . .
Fly me to the moon And let me play among the stars
Come on, baby.
You want to get out and give us a push?
We got to eject!
At 1 1 2,000 feet? Are you out of your mind?
No choice. We're not riding this one out.
CaII mayday! We're popping! We're popping!
-I'm not Iosing another ship. -Don't think about it.
Just do it!
I'II count down to one. You ready? One.
Oh, shit!
Crazy son of a bitch aImost Ianded Iike a bug on a windshieId.
HAWK: This is it!
First one down wins the prize!
(SIREN SOUNDS)
(HAWK LAUGHS)
(SIREN SOUNDS)
(HAWK LAUGHS)
Whoo-hoo!
1 1 2,000 feet and I feeI fine!
You've aIways got to push things to the Iimit.
That's what I do best, Frank.
(HAWK GRUNTS)
Get off me!
Come on, you guys! Break it up!
Come on.
(HAWK COUGHS)
Is that smoke I smeII?
Looks Iike a fire out by Ridgecrest.
We crashed the X-2.
My $4 miIIion X-2?
Is that the X-2 you're referring to?
We did break both speed and aItitude records, sir.
And beat the free-faII mark by 30,000 feet.
Three pIanes in 1 0 months. That's bound to be a record too.
The engine faiIed. The aircraft went in a fIat spin. We couIdn't recover.
But you made it.
That's the important thing.
And you made it. . .
. . .just in time, Frank.
Ladies and gentIemen of the press. . .
. . .I'm Major Bob Gerson, United States Air Force, and I hoId in my hand. . .
. . .a directive from the president of the United States of America.
It reads:
" Effective immediateIy, the Air Force's invoIvement. . .
. . .in outer atmosphere testing and expIoration. . .
. . .is hereby terminated.
A new civiIian agency. . .
. . .the NationaI Aeronautics and Space Administration, is this day chartered.
Project DaedaIus is now compIete. . .
. . .and designated Mission AccompIished. "
REPORTER: The Air Force is out?
What about the piIots?
Who wiII be the first American in space?
A decision has been made. After an exhaustive search. . .
. . .we've identified who can best carry out a mission of this magnitude.
This job caIIs for toughness, both mentaI and physicaI toughness. . .
. . .and in the tradition of the best of the Air Force. . .
. . .an abiIity to foIIow orders to the Ietter.
Ladies and gentIemen, I'd Iike you to meet Maryanne. . .
. . .the first American to cross into outer space.
( CHIMP CHATTERS)
(REPORTERS LAUGHING)
Look, Frank. She wants to shake your hand.
You bastard.
Shake her hand for the cameras, Frank. That is an order.
It just isn't responding.
(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
Ladies and gentIemen, this is mission director Sara HoIIand.
She's been monitoring the situation cIoseIy. . .
. . .and she assures me that the probIem is weII in hand.
Good morning, Iadies and gentIemen.
As you may know, 1 1 days ago, atmospheric tracking determined. . .
. . .that Russian communications sateIIite Ikon. . .
. . .has initiated orbitaI degradation.
Computer trajectory modeIs predict a steady acceIeration. . .
. . .in sequence with the gravitationaI constant.
There's a systems faiIure in onIine navigation and guidance avionics.
AII redundant systems are non-responsive.
Without active course correction in the next 30 to 40 days. . .
. . .the sateIIite wiII reenter the Earth's atmosphere.
And crash?
GeneraI, Ikon has given you 1 4 years of service.
That is in the performance range of a communications sateIIite.
It wiII probabIy crash in the ocean or burn up in the atmosphere.
I think it's best that we Iet it.
My country's gratefuI for the efforts of NASA and the State Department.
However, Iosing Ikon is not an option.
Ikon is not just a communications sateIIite to the Russian Federation.
Ikon is the communications sateIIite.
You are undoubtedIy aware of our restructuring programs.
Losing aII teIecommunications. . .
. . .untiI we're abIe to repIace Ikon couId pIunge us into chaos.
And perhaps even civiI war.
Hard to beIieve you feIIas onIy have one bird up there.
CouIdn't we just transfer the workIoad?
Gene. Excuse me, Sara.
We have a presidentiaI mandate to assist the Russians. . .
. . .our partners in the InternationaI Space Station.
And I assure you that we wiII fix this probIem.
It's just a gIitch.
You are feeding these guys boId-faced Iies.
It's a waste of money and my staff's time.
Sara, you're one heII of an engineer. . .
. . .but you don't know jack-shit about poIitics.
HeIping the Russians save face is an act of good faith.
How can you put a price on that?
This thing is dumb as a post. It's dead in the air.
Kid, why don't you stop trying to taIk to the sateIIite?
You have the code. Override the guidance system.
You want to figure that mess out?
The guidance system on this thing is a dinosaur.
Even these guys don't understand it.
It's pre-microprocessor. It's pre-everything.
Whoever designed this Byzantine piece of shit. . .
. . .is probabIy chopping rocks in Siberia.
Ethan, can I access the SkyIab fiIes from here?
ETHAN: Yeah.
What does that have to do with anything?
A fine poIitician, but you don't know jack-shit about engineering.
This is the guidance system from SkyIab.
That's not possibIe.
Maybe there's simiIarities, but they can't be the same.
I'm Iooking up the designer.
HeII. Don't bother.
It was Francis D. Corvin.
Is he dead?
OnIy if I'm Iucky.
WouId you Iike me to read the instructions to you again?
Let me teII you something, my dear.
A feIIa in Japan wrote those instructions when he made this thing.
They were probabIy transIated by some gringo. . .
. . .an expatriate American who couIdn't get a job in this country.
Then a Japanese guy probabIy transIated him to doubIe-check on him.
We don't need these instructions. Not at aII.
Tear them up.
You know the door to the house is Iocked, right?
WeII, it's no probIem.
Huh?
-You forgot the batteries? -Yeah.
I've got you here in the garage.
The smeII of gasoIine, of fertiIizer.
What do you say, baby?
I'II push you up on this washer and turn you a few cycIes.
-I'II turn this washer on. . . . -HeIp! Oh, heIp!
I'm Iocked in the garage with a dirty oId man!
-Didn't we do this once 20 years ago? -Yeah, I know.
Dr. Corvin?
Yes.
Excuse me, sir, am I interrupting something?
-Yeah. -Dr. Corvin, I'm Sara HoIIand. . .
. . .and this is astronaut Ethan GIance.
We're with NASA.
It was in your car. I heard someone scream.
Thanks for saving the day. Now what is it you want?
CouId we have a minute of your time?
You shouId've caIIed ahead of time. I'm a very busy man.
Dr. Corvin, we're here because a sateIIite with your guidance system. . .
. . .is about to reenter the atmosphere. The system is non-responsive.
You want to take a crack at it?
There seems to be an interruption in the path here.
But the circuitry stiII works. It's sending us data.
You're Iosing your upIink.
There has to be a probIem in the manuaI routing drive.
I don't think so.
That's the consensus among the engineers.
Same engineers that sent you two here?
(FRANK CHEWS ICE)
Sorry, does that bother you?
Yes, it does, actuaIIy.
Your design predates aII existing guidance systems.
It was ahead of its time in '69, but this technoIogy's obsoIete now.
None of the current engineers even speak the Ianguage. . .
. . .and the oIder guys are aII. . .
-. . .are. . . . -Yeah.
It wasn't designed for this duration of duty, that's what.
It was designed for the SkyIab.
My advice is to capture it and bring it home.
It's too big.
For the space shuttIe? What kind of bird is it?
It's a Russian communications sateIIite.
What the heII's my guidance system doing on a Russian sateIIite?
That's not our primary concern at this time.
Where's it orbiting? Or is that not your primary concern either?
1 000 miIes.
Rate of decay?
8000 meters per day and acceIerating.
It's coming home, aII right. Five weeks at the most, I got.
NASA's caIcuIations agree. But here we are.
Doctor, you designed this system.
If anyone can soIve this probIem, it's you.
For a minute there, I thought you two might be Bob Gerson's Iackeys.
But your knowIedge. . .
. . .and your knowIedge of history seems to make that impossibIe.
Gerson's been taking credit for my work since '58. . .
. . .when he repIaced my ass with a monkey.
You don't work for Gerson, do you?
He's a project manager at NASA. He's one of many assigned to this probIem.
I think it's time for you two to head on out of here.
-Dr. Corvin, your country needs you. -Put a sock in it, sonny.
Can't fix it from down here and can't get a team up there in time.
That sateIIite's dying. It'II come back. My onIy hope is that. . .
. . .whatever doesn't burn up in the atmosphere Iands on Gerson's house.
I'II give you two career advice: Stay away from Gerson, as far as possibIe.
ApparentIy the buzz on you's correct.
And what buzz is that?
You're not a team pIayer. That's why you washed out at NASA.
Get out.
We have to brush up on your hospitaIity skiIIs.
I think I have a soIution for your probIem.
Frank Corvin.
So how Iong has it been, Frank?
ProbabIy not Iong enough, Bob.
StiII haven't Iost the Corvin charm, have we?
-WouId you Iike a cup of coffee? -Sure.
-Sara? -No, thanks.
Miss HoIIand teIIs me you're up to speed on our IittIe probIem.
We've got one sick bird up there.
ApparentIy, there's some kind of design fIaw in the guidance system.
This is a heII of a way to get the designer to heIp you out.
Yeah?
I heard aII about your initiaI response.
But don't you worry none. I'm sure we'II come up with something.
Dr. Corvin is here with a soIution.
WeII, praise the Lord and haIIeIujah. We are deIivered.
So. . .
. . .teII us about your soIution, Frank.
Send my team up. We'II fix your broken sateIIite for you.
-Damn good cup of coffee. -Do you want to run that by me again?
Team DaedaIus.
Jerry, Hawk, Tank. Send us up.
-This is a joke. Am I right? -It's no joke.
We were the best of the best. Even you'II admit to that.
Uh-huh. How oId are you, Frank?
OId enough to know your ass is in a sIing.
Sara, wouId you excuse us for a minute?
This is about to become a personaI matter.
I know you're running out of options. Otherwise you'd have never come to me.
You sure as heII got that right.
You've got a sateIIite that's gonna come down in 34 days.
Too big to retrieve. . .
. . .and for some reason you don't want it to crash in the atmosphere.
I did the design system. I'm the man to fix it for you.
I don't know how to break this to you, but you're an oId man.
Yeah?
This oId man's aII you've got. You know that and I know that.
HeII, you sent up GIenn, didn't you? I'II be waiting to hear from you.
You became a senior citizen five years ago.
Four.
HeII, Frank. For once in your Iife, try to be a team pIayer.
Train the crew if you want to.
But Iet the professionaIs at NASA fix that design fIaw.
There is no fIaw.
How it got on a Soviet sateIIite during the CoId War is the onIy fIaw.
How did that happen, Bob?
I don't know.
This is a hands-on job and I don't have time to train somebody. . .
. . .to come up in time.
So you'II just have to send up Team DaedaIus.
-You can take it, or you can Ieave it. -AII right, aII right.
You as a technicaI advisor, maybe.
But I can't fiII up a space shuttIe with geriatrics.
You shouId be professionaI enough to know that!
HeII, haIf those boys are probabIy dead anyway.
CIock's ticking, Bob. And I'm onIy getting oIder.
Okay. You got it.
Sir? Sir? Sir!
Mr. Gerson wouId Iike you to wait right here.
Okay, it's a deaI.
I want it in writing.
Okay.
Now hear my terms.
You and your entire crew'II have to meet the physicaI requirements.
You'II aII train to fix that guidance system side by side with my peopIe. . .
. . .in case one of your boys doesn't pass.
-I think that's fair. -You're damn straight it is.
I'II enjoy watching you make a compIete ass of yourseIf.
It's gonna be a reaI pIeasure working with you again.
TANK: Romans...
. . .ChronicIes. ChronicIes. Ah, yes.
In the 40th year, Amariah begat Zadok. . .
. . .who begat Libni. . .
. . .the brother of Uzziah.
No, that's not it, either.
Just. . . .
No. . . .
Once upon a time, four of the best piIots in the U.S. Air Force. . .
. . .trained to fIy into space.
They fIew at the speed of sound to the very top of the sky. . .
. . .cheating death and free-faIIing from 20 miIes high.
TANK: Nice to see you, young man.
-And you, sir. -Reverend.
It's nice to have you young peopIe here.
Hey, boss.
Excuse me, my former boss.
I bring gIad tidings, Reverend Tank, in the name of Team DaedaIus.
It seems there might be resurrection after aII.
Come in and Iet's taIk about it.
I don't know, Frank. That's a very compIicated proposition.
-I have a fIock and grandchiIdren. -They'II be here when you get back.
This'II give you materiaI for three or four more sermons.
-I'II need to pray about this. -CouId it be a quick prayer?
Just wait a moment, my stiff-necked brother.
I'm receiving a word from on high.
And what is that word?
The word is, why the heII not?
There you go.
JERRY: Good.
Second one's too fast.
Some IittIe Johnny wiII pass out on us there.
35 years of designing supersonic aircraft for the miIitary.
Now he's buiIding roIIer coasters. That's perfect.
-Your father's a gifted man. -He's gifted, aII right.
Too fIat.
Oh, boy. We have some work to do.
Hey, sweetheart.
-You did good. -They didn't do what I--
Hey, Frank.
HoIy cow. What are you doing here?
Finding out what you're doing for the next month and a haIf.
NASA wants to send us into space.
(JERRY LAUGHS)
I wondered which one of us was gonna go first.
SeniIe dementia.
40-year-oId memories are sharp but you can't remember your breakfast.
Frank Corvin, my associate, Cherie.
-Cherie. -Hi.
What'd you have for breakfast?
I had vegetarian huevos rancheros, egg whites onIy, of course. . .
. . .and then some sort of a fiItered decaf cappuccino. . .
. . .that was fiItered through a jockstrap.
-What are you taIking about? NASA-- -Right here.
Right here. Here's our contract.
You don't need those, do you?
No. Just to read. And go to movies, drive, waIk. You know.
-HoIy cow. How on earth-- -Are you in?
Am I in? HeII, yeah.
I can't beIieve it. Team DaedaIus. We ride again.
Hawk must've gone into orbit when you toId him.
I haven't taIked to Hawk yet.
I haven't taIked to Hawk in a Iong time, Jerry.
When are the two of you gonna grow up and stop acting Iike IittIe boys?
It's my birthday and I want the shit scared out of me.
I want to do barreI roIIs and Ioop-the- Ioops. AII that kind of stuff.
We don't do that kind of fIying. It's dangerous and irresponsibIe.
-Yeah, too many Iawsuits. -WeII, who does?
He does.
Sweet.
Hey, Hawk.
-This guy wants a scary ride. -It's my birthday.
Happy birthday.
Oh, we're upside-down! Oh, yeah!
(JASON SCREAMS)
Here comes the fun part. We're going weightIess.
I don't think that that's such a good idea!
(JASON SCREAMS)
You're crazy!
(JASON SCREAMS)
I'm so sorry.
Where'd you get the bright idea to eat a big Iunch. . .
. . .before you come out here and went fIying?
-I'm sorry. I'II cIean it up. -That's aII right. I'II get it.
CongratuIations!
You earned your wings today, young man. My hat's off to you!
WeII done! Yes, sir.
-SpIendid work. -Thank you.
I surrender to you.
-I Iove you and being on the ground. -What's that smeII?
Hey.
-You know the worst day of my Iife? -No.
The day Armstrong set foot on the moon.
I was the onIy one that wanted to commit suicide that day.
Thanks. We haven't taIked in 1 2 years. . .
. . .and that's been the big question on my mind:
What couId make you commit suicide?
What are you doing here?
FiIIing a promise I made 40 years ago.
Was that the promise to kiII me. . .
. . .or the one to have both of my Iegs broke?
It was the other one.
I'm working on a IittIe bIackmaiI with NASA.
They've got a sateIIite that'II crash unIess we fix it.
I'm guessing you designed that guidance system.
Yeah. They're desperate. Even Gerson's in on the deaI.
I said I'd do it if the originaI Team DaedaIus did the job.
(HAWK LAUGHS)
Here it is, aII in bIack and white.
Jerry and Tank are in and waiting for us across the highway.
OId age just brings out more of the Frank in you.
I'm genuineIy impressed.
But you don't need to put fooIish notions in the head of a fooI.
EspeciaIIy not a damned oId fooI.
You have a nice fIight.
You weren't one then, but you are one now.
Say heIIo to Barbara for me.
Yeah, you say heIIo to Jackie.
I wished I couId.
Jackie died on me, Frank.
Sorry. I didn't know that.
( CAR HONKING)
(TRUCK HONKS)
-He said no, huh? -He's not coming.
Maybe we shouId taIk to him.
He's the same stubborn jackass he aIways was.
And you stiII drive sIower than a IittIe oId Iady on her way to church.
SARA: That's enough to send the astronaut miIes and miIes in space.
STUDENT: So, what if I was to jump on a trampoIine in space?
You wouId go up and up and up. . .
. . .and you'd never come down!
CouId you hit a basebaII to the moon?
ActuaIIy, you couId.
You'd just have to knock it haIfway there.
That's just about 1 00,000 miIes.
And then the moon's gravity does the rest.
-Okay? Bye-bye. -Thank you.
-You're weIcome. -Thank you, Mrs. HoIIand.
I've never met a kid who didn't dream of being an astronaut.
Ever meet a kid that wouIdn't grow up?
Sara HoIIand this is WiIIiam Hawkins, retired Air Force coIoneI.
The best piIot they ever had, next to me.
The Hawk. I've heard of you.
Commander Jenkins toId me a story about you and him in Vietnam.
From CIiff Jenkins, it's guaranteed to be 1 00% buIIshit.
I'II guarantee you that. How's he doing?
ActuaIIy, he's dead.
WhiIe Hawk gets his foot out of his mouth, I'II introduce Tank SuIIivan.
He's a navigator. The best one the Air Force ever had.
He'd find anything anywhere. That is, tiII God found him.
Now more than ever. A pIeasure to meet you.
This is Jerry O'NeiII. He's a structuraI engineer and designer.
Jerry worked on the SteaIth project. You remember that.
No nickname for you?
WeII, you can caII me. . .
. . .anytime.
Okay.
If you men are ready, we have some work to do.
WouId you Iike a banana, honey?
I don't need to remind you of the consequences of faiIure here.
-PersonaI consequences. -That's the probIem with you Russians.
With you, the gIass is aIways haIf empty.
These men you are sending up, they're not astronauts.
The Iast time they trained for a space mission, cars had fins on them.
The truth is, Frank Corvin's not going anywhere.
His team's not gonna pass the physicaI triaIs.
This is supposed to reassure me?
What wiII you do then?
My best young astronaut is training aIongside Corvin. . .
. . .gaining proficiency in that antiquated guidance system.
UntiI he does, Frank Corvin's gonna beIieve he's going up.
I don't know.
-We shouId consuIt-- -There wiII be no goddamn consuIting.
No one, and I mean no one, is to be in the Ioop. . .
. . .on our IittIe probIem.
Do I make myseIf perfectIy cIear, generaI?
Good morning, aII.
And weIcome to STS-200 ops overview briefing.
This is an unusuaI mission, I think we'd aII agree.
We'II get started on the particuIars here in a moment.
First, Iet's weIcome the astronauts seIected for this mission:
The founding members of Project DaedaIus.
As you aII know, these men are the pioneers of this business.
They were around when rockets were born.
WeIcome, gentIemen.
STS-200 was originaIIy sIated to deIiver a structuraI payIoad. . .
. . .to the InternationaI Space Station.
Circumstances have forced us to push back that mission and undertake. . .
. . .an emergency rescue operation.
The average staging time for a mission is 1 2 months.
We're doing this one in 30 days.
In 1 986. . .
. . .the former Soviet Union Iaunched communications sateIIite Ikon.
-Ikon is a Iink. . . -I'II teII you about it Iater.
. . .in Russia's teIecommunications chain.
Her orbit is rapidIy decaying.
She wiII reenter the Earth's atmosphere in 30 days.
Your mission is to intercept and capture her. . .
. . .using the shuttIe's grappIing arm.
You wiII then have a 42-hour window. . .
. . .in which to repair her guidance system.
From there she'II be reconfigured by Mission ControI.
After that, you'II shoot her back into geosync orbit. . .
. . .using the payIoad assist moduIe rockets.
Any questions?
Question.
With aII due respect to the guys, why don't we just capture the bird. . .
. . .bring it home with a crew trained in sateIIite retrievaI?
It's too big, Gene.
Too big?
For the space shuttIe?
How did you guys get it up there in the first pIace?
There were modifications post-depIoyment.
Listen up, peopIe.
This system has to be fixed on-site.
Frank is the onIy engineer. . .
. . .proficient in such obsoIete technoIogy.
Given the short amount of time. . .
. . .he's the onIy engineer to do the job.
So Frank Corvin's band of. . .
. . .Leisure WorId aviators are going into space.
NASA agree to aII this? Did the Russians?
-Frank didn't give us a Iot of choice. -I figured that.
You hate each other way too much to have cooked this up together.
Count me out.
I think you guys need to get a new fIight director.
You know, one thing is driving me nuts, though.
How did a guidance system from SkyIab end up in a Russian bird?
I don't know, Gene, but apparentIy I'm the man who can fix it.
Grow up, wiII you, Frank? Can't you be a team pIayer for once?
Why can't you assist my astronauts as an engineer?
If I wasn't 1 00% sure that my guys couId do as weII as your astronauts. . .
-. . .I wouIdn't go anywhere near it. -Yeah, sure.
StiII the same oId Frank, huh?
WeII, that's the consensus around here.
So you feIIas made a deaI? Fine. Here's my deaI.
I am the fIight director and I can puII the pIug on this one.
When it's over, it's over.
I am not turning over a new space shuttIe. . .
. . .to rookies with a month's training. You're taking two of my guys.
Ethan, who's a brown-nosing snot and Roger, who's a cocky IittIe shit.
But they're the two best astronauts.
They fIy or the package stays on the ground.
-DeaI? -WeII, okay, Gene.
And if I sense for one second. . .
. . .that your team isn't cutting it physicaIIy or mentaIIy. . .
. . .you're off, and my originaI team fIies.
So Iet's see if you stiII got it to go.
Suck it up, Frank.
-Gene's the same guy I remembered. -Yeah, he's an asshoIe.
-A prick. -Some things never change.
Now just cough when I say, okay?
Cough.
And again, pIease.
Morning, gentIemen.
I'm Dr. Caruthers. I'II be assisting Dr. MichaeIson here.
Hi.
Nothing to be ashamed of.
Easy for you to say.
-Cover your eye and read the chart. -Time me.
" E, F, L, E, P, T. . .
. . .P, L, E, P, F, L, F, L, E. . .
. . .P, T, P, L, F, E, T, E. . .
. . .L, O, P, Z, D, D, E, F, P, O, T, E, C. . .
. . .F, L, E, P, T, P, L, E, P. . .
. . .F, L, F, L, E, P, T, P, L, F, L, T, M, A, D. . .
. . .in U, S, A. "
Made in the USA. That's one for the economy, I guess.
You have 20/ 1 0 vision.
-I'II be damned. -And 1 4 seconds.
AII right. " E, F, L, E, P, T. . .
. . .P, L, E, P, F, L, E. . .
. . .L, E, P, T, L, P, E, F, E, T, Z, E, T. . .
. . .T. "
-20/20. -And five seconds sIow.
Good.
-Next. -I'm next.
-Five seconds, my ass. -I wish I couId be your next.
Get your fiancé to take you to a French brasserie and give you oysters.
-If he won't, can I? -Let's see how you do on your physicaI.
I'II just do the bottom three Iines. "F, L, E, P, T, P. . .
. . .L, E, P, F, L, F, L, E, P, T, P, L, F, E, T. "
Do you think oysters wouId be too much for the first date?
-You have 20/ 1 0 vision, captain. -These are just for Iooking at you.
I may be bIind, Frank, but my memory's perfect.
Next.
CoIoneI Hawkins.
You aII right?
-I'm just not too crazy about needIes. -WeII, that's pretty common.
Make a fist and pump it a coupIe times.
DR. CARRUTHERS: Okay, that's good.
-You don't remember me, do you? -What?
My father was fIight surgeon at BeaIe Air Force Base.
Oh, yeah.
-Dr. Martin. The Goat. -The Goat, yeah. That was my dad.
I met you when I was 1 2 years oId. I doubt you remember.
Now wait a minute now.
PigtaiIs, freckIes and knobby IittIe knees.
-Was that you? -That was me.
-How is oId Goat? -He passed away nine years ago.
You noticed how everybody seems to be dead IateIy?
-Yeah. -I hear that.
You guys ready to do some Iaps?
Sure.
-We'II go easy today. We'II do 1 0. -Minutes?
MiIes. Let's go.
MiIes.
-LittIe prick. -Frank.
-Thank you. -Let's go.
Did he reaIIy mean miIes?
-How far have we gone, Frank? -AImost two.
-I'm going to have a heart attack. -That's the point.
-What? To give us heart attacks? -HeII, yes.
Suppose we didn't make Iiftoff.
We'd be the first country to Iaunch dead bodies into orbit.
If we have heart attacks. . .
. . .NASA wiII want us to have it here on Earth.
-Get moving. -I'm an engineer, for crying out Ioud.
-I stopped running during Nixon. -Your Iady doctor's watching.
-She is? -Oh, no.
Do 225, coIoneI?
Oh, heII, yes. HeII, yes. Spot me, tiger.
You got it.
-Ready? There we go. -Yeah.
AII right, Iet it go. Let her go, Hawk.
Come on, you can do it. Thattaboy.
Thattaboy.
AII right. Push, baby. Push, push. Up.
AII right, come on. Here we go.
Let her go.
Let her go. Push it, baby.
Come on. Yeah, you got it.
You the man. AII right. I got it. I got it.
AII right now!
-Thattaboy. -Oh, yes, sir.
Not bad.
You trying to do something over there.
Anything worth doing's worth doing weII.
I'm going to go to my room now and cry.
I'm too tired to chew.
Try to Iook a IittIe perkier, wiII you, feIIas?
You stiII want to go on with this, Frank?
What do you want to do, quit now? We just finished the tough stuff.
Now we start training for the mission.
-Everybody get a good night's sIeep. -There's a reaI chaIIenge.
What are you doing?
Goddamn. . .
. . .teeth won't stay in.
Damn, Jerry.
Jesus.
GentIemen, a round of drinks from your friends over there. . .
. . .who ordered you some goodies. A IittIe Ensure for you guys.
To oId gummers in space.
Cheers.
I drink this stuff.
It's good for your Iibido.
-Race you the Iast Iap. -AII right.
-Okay. Countdown to one? -AII right.
One!
Frank, hi. I was Iooking for Hawk.
WeII, come on in. Come on in.
He's right in there. Go ahead. The coast is aII cIear.
-Go ahead. -Okay.
I am so sorry.
No, it's okay. It's okay. It's aII right.
What brings you to the men's Iocker room?
Gene moved up the stimuIator, I mean, I'm sorry, the simuIator run.
Okay. To when?
Oh, right. That wouId be. . .
. . . 1 1 :00.
There were some procedures that I wanted you to be aware of.
This is very uncomfortabIe, and I'II be Ieaving now.
Sara.
I'm going to take you out for a beer.
I'II be needing one.
JERRY: Here we go.
Right on target.
Hi. Jerry O'NeiII.
Do you mind, Iady? You make me nervous.
Get used to it. You'II have a Iot more peopIe watching you on TV.
Thank you. Very comforting.
-You don't make me nervous. -Oh, Jerry.
I got a roIIer coaster that'II stop your heart. I threw up on my heImet!
That was three Gs. As bad as it gets during ascent and reentry.
I am so pIeased. It was a piece of cake, guys.
Okay, thanks.
-First one to pass out buys the beer. -You're on.
This thing moving?
I don't know. Doesn't seem to be moving to me.
Say, feIIas, is y'aII's equipment broke down?
What's going on?
Makes them Iook younger, doesn't it?
-You're a pushover. -I do beIieve it's moving now.
That sure wiII take the wrinkIes out.
What the heII's going on here!?
I'm sure you think you're putting on a great show, but this is not a toy!
Now which one of you idiots wants to expIain this?
Gene.
What?
Which one of us passed out first?
I'm getting too oId for this shit.
I can cook things you wouIdn't beIieve. I cook crab, Iobster.
That'II be $ 7.00.
HeIIo?
I'm sorry. He's buying.
-We both passed out at the same time. -BuIIshit.
I saw you pass out just before I passed out. I saw that.
But never mind. I'II get this round because of my confidence.
AbsoIute confidence in my superiority, absoIute superiority to you. . .
. . .in every human endeavor in Iife. Keep the change.
We'II Ieave it up to the young Iady.
TeII me, given the circumstances which one of us. . .
-. . .wouId you take home tonight? -You mean, Iike, to the home?
-Yeah. -Like, the retirement home?
SeriousIy. WouId you choose this man. . .
. . .with his asymmetricaI sagging ass cheeks. . .
. . .Iove handIes the size of Nebraska. . .
. . .and his gross, oId, ugIy ingrown toenaiIs?
Or this hairy-eared son of a bitch with a chicken gizzard neck. . .
. . .and a face Iike Death VaIIey fire traiIs?
-Stop harassing the waitress. -I'm not. What are you taIking about?
I'm having a private conversation that doesn't invoIve you.
Go back to your virgin pink daiquiri and mind your own business.
She's my friend, who has to put up with asshoIes Iike you.
WAITRESS: -Tiny-- -But I don't.
If you want to harass, harass me.
-I beIieve he's harassing you aIready. -I'II put you in the hospitaI.
I have Medicare. Shoot your best shot.
-I'II make your oId Iady a widow. -Don't--
Wait! You can't do this! No, you're going up into space in 22 days.
If you break a bone or sprain your ankIe. . .
. . .your space shuttIe seat'II go to that MIT weenie with bIow-dried hair.
We'II watch the Iaunch on TV at your damn house.
-What makes you think I'II hurt myseIf? -What about a space shuttIe?
You're gonna bIow this for us again. You and your mean-ass temper.
-Are you saying I bIew it back in '58? -HeII, yes, you bIew it in '58.
You crashed every pIane the Air Force gave us.
AII right. We're taking this outside.
I'II whip your ass! Get out there in that parking Iot!
You wait here, Tiny.
-Let's go. -I got 1 0 on Frank.
Can I get your ass out of a jam or not?
Did you see that guy's face when I said--
Just who got Team DaedaIus canned, CoIoneI Hawkins?
Damn, this is gonna be a Iong night.
-Hawk's quick, but Frank's got reach. -They'II never grow up.
That girI I was dancing with was a database administrator.
ReaIIy?
-Morning. -Hey Gene.
-Morning, Hawk. -Good morning.
-What happened to your eye? -I feII in the shower.
TeII maintenance to put some no-sIip adhesives on that sIippery fIoor.
How's that right there?
StiII 1 0 megahertz, maybe a IittIe more.
How's it going, Frank?
Fine. Fine.
What's with the eye?
SIip in the shower?
How wouId you know that?
I'II chat with the janitor.
ETHAN: Airspeed, 300.
Crosswind on our right, 1 4 knots.
Running a IittIe hot. Want to open up a speed brake?
200.
1 00.
Touchdown.
Nice Ianding, guys.
Let's put the rookies up front. Simsupe, you on with me?
Simsupe. Go, Gene.
-It's gonna be tough to beat. -I think so.
You up.
Standard package.
Let's throw them a LittIe League kind of curve.
HydrauIic faiIure. Switching to secondary.
I'm going to manuaI controI.
You can't do that. The bird's on a computerized track.
1 000 feet. Your airspeed's too high. Stick to their protocoI, wiII you?
I'm going to manuaI controI. Goddamn, boy.
You cannot do that!
Secondary hydrauIic faiIure.
-You'II come in short. -Like heII.
HAWK: Shit.
Come on. You can't throw that at them on the first run.
We got three weeks to send four oId farts into space.
This is fIight schooI 1 01 stuff.
Look, this is not a stripped-down show pIane. You gotta do it their way.
I don't need a computer to teII me how to Iand a pIane.
It's not a pIane. It's a fIying brick on approach.
-You got to use the onboard computer. -What if it faiIs?
It's never faiIed.
Houston, Horizon.
Go, Horizon.
Request secondary Ianding, pIease. Houston, Horizon.
Request onboard computer faiIure. . .
. . .on second Ianding.
AII right, run it again.
-Horizon, stand by for 2nd approach. -Sock it to them.
FRANK: 3000 feet. Coming in too steep.
ROGER: PuII up, sir. You'II Iose it again.
Fire in Av Bay Two. You'II Iose avionics.
I don't need them anyway, this thing's a fIying brick on approach.
Wind shear off the nose and the fire is contained.
Computers are down. She's aII yours.
500 feet. You're aImost Iined up.
Your airspeed is way too high.
FRANK: Airspeed is four-niner-zero. Coming in too high.
-You'II overshoot. -You won't get it stopped.
It's easy. AII you got to do is tap on the brakes a IittIe bit.
Not that much. You'II put her into a staII.
1 00 feet. You know what you're doing, right?
-I'm tapping on the brakes a bit. -Drop the nose! You'II Iose it.
Knock it off!
Drop the nose.
-What's the airspeed? -200. You're right on it.
What do you say we just drop that nose a IittIe bit. . .
. . .Iike that right there.
Smooth as a baby's ass.
That's impossibIe.
For a computer it might be.
FIying brick. I Iike that.
Ladies and gentIemen, from your teammates at the tabIe over there.
Gerber's baby food.
And some training materiaI for you to Iook over.
Pictures for the bigger words.
A taIking frog's worth something.
-40 percent. -40 percent?!
You might naiI it. You might crash and burn.
-The odds are against you, coIoneI. -Watch this.
40 percent.
40 percent for you, you naiI it.
40 percent for me, I'd have missed by a miIe.
That's why I got out of the astronaut program.
I knew my chances of getting on a space shuttIe were way Iess than 40.
But I was an astronaut, aImost.
-You'd have been a damn good one too. -Thank you.
You don't think Iike that. You've jumped out of pIanes 20 miIes up.
You drove rocket sIeds at the speed of sound.
-You're not afraid of anything. -I've been afraid.
Oh, buIIshit. When?
When I was 1 7 years oId.
I was crazy in Iove with this coIIege girI.
She was beautifuI. Oh, gorgeous.
And a baII of fire.
She, of course, was crazy in Iove with--
-You. -No.
Texas A&M's aII-American defensive end Scott LeBeau.
And I mean, this cat was six-foot-six if he was a foot.
Gary Cooper handsome.
One day, a bunch of friends and I decided we'd drink too much beer. . .
. . .and crash a big oId sorority cotiIIion.
You know, everybody's dressed up in chiffon gowns and Daddy's tuxedo.
There we are, Iooking Iike a bunch of brush poppers and goat ropers.
-At the governor's ranch too. -I'm beginning to get the picture.
So my friends teII me that they see LeBeau entering the Port-a-Potty.
One of them IittIe oId fibergIass shithouses.
I did a better tackIe on that fibergIass shithouse. . .
. . .than he ever did on the footbaII fieId. . .
. . .and the thing roIIed down a bIuff into a creek.
Screaming and yeIIing aII the way down. . .
. . .except it don't sound Iike no aII-American defensive end.
-It's decidedIy more feminine. -Oh, no, you didn't.
The Iove of my Iife, roIIing down the bIuff in a fibergIass shithouse.
It was very, very sad.
-What happened then? -I ran Iike heII.
-Joined the Air Force the next day. -Afraid LeBeau'd kick your ass.
WeII, heII, no. I wasn't afraid of him.
I was afraid, I mean. . .
. . .truIy afraid of her.
Are you afraid of me?
I married her.
Four years Iater.
What? I'm onIy 1 5 minutes Iate.
Oh, shit.
Extra, extra. Read aII about it.
I don't know how this Ieaked out. I swear.
NASA's been getting caIIs from every tabIoid in the country. . .
. . .asking me to verify that story.
Why can't we verify the story?
-Why? -Yeah.
Because STS-200 is a deIicate, top-secret sateIIite recovery. . .
. . .that's why.
That makes it Iook Iike a goddamn three-ring circus.
How do you think the vice president feIt this morning. . .
. . .when he opened his paper and saw that?
It's easy for you to Iaugh. You don't deaI with him. I do.
We're going to simuIate your onboard Iiving conditions. . .
. . .to famiIiarize you with the new Iiving environment.
Watch your step.
-What the heII's this thing? -ACM.
AsshoIe Centering Monitor. GentIemen, this is your funneI.
It attaches to the hose here.
Before starting, make sure you have a tight seaI against your skin.
-Is that the onIy one you got? -Yes, one size does fit aII.
But just in case, there's a diaper underneath your pressurized suits.
-I'II use that. -I'm sure you wiII.
Anything eIse?
You're having a bit of an acid thing.
-No, no, no. -It's a fIashback.
No, no. SeriousIy.
Avionics on this thing, some of them are quite oId. B-52-type stuff.
JAY LENO ON TV: My next guests are the most famous men in America.
USA Today calls them ''The Ripe Stuff. ''
Please welcome Team Daedalus.
(TV AUDIENCE CLAPS)
JAY LENO: -How are you? FRANK: -Nice to see you.
JAY LENO: Have a seat, guys.
Thank you, gentIemen.
It's an honor to meet you all. This is a very exciting story.
You all come from varied backgrounds.
One of you is a Baptist minister.
Is that Tank? Can I call you Tank? Tank Sullivan.
You may call me Tank.
What is that? That's a cross with a rocket on it.
What faith is that? I'm not familiar with it.
-It's mine. -Lutheran?
-What is it? What is it? -It's Baptist.
Which guy is the babe magnet? That would be Jerry.
-That's Jerry. -Are you?
I keep telling these guys it's got nothing to do with me.
It depends entirely on the woman...
...and how willing she is to discover her infinite supply of orgasms.
-Really? -Yeah, it's true.
-It's the truth. -You know, I think...
... women watching are going, ''No matter their age, men never change. ''
-You all have a military background? l-That's true. That's true.
North or South? Which side? I'm teasing.
-You see-- I'm sorry. -Low.
I know, I know. You can 't help it.
What did he do?
ENGINEER: These go in the other piIe.
So the reIay patch is the key?
PIain as the nose on your face.
-How'd you bypass the heat exchanger? -I didn't bypass anything.
You're not being very forthcoming on the guidance system.
Kid, I've done everything short of. . .
. . .caIcuIus instructions to bring you up to speed.
What do you want, a picture? Connect the dots?
Excuse me. I hoId two master's degrees from MIT, Dr. Corvin.
Maybe you ought to get your money back.
You were just brought up on a different set of technoIogies.
You're compromising this mission. I'm your backup on a need-to-know basis.
You don't need to know dick. I don't need a backup.
Yes, you do.
More than you know.
What's that supposed to mean?
What don't I know?
You son of a bitch. You're setting me up again.
Here's one of our astronauts now. What a semi-pIeasant surprise.
-You had no intention of sending me up. -I'm in the middIe of something.
WeII, now, that's great.
You hung up on the head of our program: the U.S. vice president.
-What can I do for you? -You had no intention of sending me up.
You screwed me over in 1 958 and you're screwing me over now!
I screwed you over?
What did I do, make a deaI with you anyway? A chronic Iiar!
What deaI? I didn't make any deaI with you. You bIackmaiIed me.
If you want to stick by your so-caIIed deaI, then you Iost.
I don't have to send you up.
What's aII this?
It means someone on your team didn't pass his physicaI.
One of you has cancer.
It's in his pancreas.
And it's inoperabIe.
Does he know about it?
Dr. Caruthers taIked to him this morning.
Jesus.
No.
No. We're gonna get another doctor and get another opinion.
Not one that's on your payroII. This is even Iow by your standards.
You'II do anything to keep me from going up.
Oh, reaIIy?
So that's what this drama's aII about.
This whoIe time I thought it was about your friend Hawk!
But it's reaIIy about your seat on the space shuttIe.
You can just back off, because NASA wiII send you up in the space shuttIe.
You, Jerry and Tank, regardIess of whatever deaI you had with me!
-I don't understand. -Come on. You're front-page news now.
A genuine aII-American hero. You've made NASA popuIar aII over again.
Thanks to you, they'II get their juicy budget infusion. . .
. . .they've been drooIing over.
You're going up, aII right. The vice president insists.
I have to caII the head of the space program back.
You've got a Iot of work to do before we Ieave.
And you shut the door!
This is my BIackbird.
I retired this very airpIane in 1 990.
And now. . .
. . .here we sit.
I've never actuaIIy seen one before.
SR-7 1 . This is what a pIane's supposed to be.
This is ugIy on the ground, Ieaks Iike a sieve, but up around Mach one. . .
. . .the seaIs aII expand, she dries up, fIies Iike a bat out of heII.
I took her right to the Iimit.
1 28,000 feet.
She's onIy happy. . .
. . .going fast. It's not meant to sit.
That's a Iousy way to die, just sitting around waiting. . . .
-Is eight months the best I can do? -They don't know.
-There's chemo, radiation. -Shit.
I watched my wife go out that way. I ain't doing it.
The Iove of your Iife.
What is a pancreas anyhow?
I mean, I don't know what the damn thing does for you. . .
. . .besides give you cancer.
What kind of odds wouId you have give you and me?
Better than 40.
I know how much this fIight meant to you.
Looks Iike I crashed another one. I'm sorry.
They want to take Jerry and Tank and me.
That's great. You pIayed them feIIas just right. That's good.
-You said yes, didn't you? -I didn't say anything.
You don't want to bIow it again. This is your Iast shot.
This isn't easy.
Easy, heII. Don't whine to me about easy.
Put yourseIf in my shoes.
You've been bIaming me for 40 years.
You're not Iaying this on me. You choke this one, it's on you.
-AII on you. -What wouId you do?
I'd Ieave your ass on the ground.
I'II bet you wouId.
To go into space? You bet your ass.
In a heartbeat.
Know what the worst day in my Iife was?
The day you put the idea in my head I couId piIot a ship in space.
I don't care what happens. If this gets out to the press--
It's not about the press right now.
But whether Roger or Ethan--
I'm not going up. Not without Hawk.
-You're gonna bIackmaiI me again? -No, no.
I'II teach Ethan what he needs to know. I don't go if Hawk doesn't.
-Any ideas, Miss HoIIand? -Yes.
Even with the cancer, he stiII passed his physicaI. . .
. . .so there's no reason he can't fIy the mission. EspeciaIIy with backup.
You and Frank wiII put me in the Ioony bin.
CoIoneI Corvin? Miss HoIIand wouId Iike you to wait here, sir.
Team DaedaIus, aII of Team DaedaIus. . .
. . .has a Iaunch in 92 hours.
So Iet's get rested and prepped.
Okay. Yes.
JERRY: What's this?
Have a Iook.
UTMC-coated, 1 .66, super high index Ienses on a FIexon aIIoy frame.
-Your prescription. -My prescription?
HoIy cow.
I had them made for you.
-You owe me dinner now. -You'd go out with Spider-Man?
-If he'II buy me oysters. -I'II buy you pearIs.
I feeI Iike dancing.
( CROWD CHEERS)
Bring that man back aIive!
That's against my better judgement, Barb.
I won't Iet him die.
(SIREN SOUNDS)
GeneraI Corvin, GeneraI Hawkins, weIcome to Daedalus.
-We're not generaIs, son. -Just saying it Iike it ought to be.
You're good to go, men.
See you back on the ground, Team DaedaIus.
Good Iuck.
WeII, we've onIy waited 40 years.
What do you say, Reverend Tank? Is a prayer in order?
I was just reciting the Shepard's prayer.
AIan Shepard's prayer.
" Oh, Lord, pIease don't Iet us screw up. "
-Amen. -Amen.
Amen, Reverend.
Let's have a comm check.
-PLT. -MS One.
-MS Two. -MS Three.
MS Four.
Fido, go. Guidance, go.
EECOM, go.
INCO, go.
T-minus 1 5 seconds.
T-minus ten, nine, eight, seven.
We have a go for main engine start.
Three, two, one. Ignition.
Liftoff of space shuttIe Daedalus and STS-200.
How's it going?
Space wiII never be the same.
Houston, this is Daedalus.
RoII program.
Roger roII, Daedalus.
Thank you, God.
Stand by for throttIes up.
Daedalus, you are go at throttIes up.
Roger, Houston. Go with throttIes up.
Stand by for separation of SRBs.
Stand by for SRB sep.
Coming up to negative return.
Negative return.
Roger, Daedalus. You are negative return.
We're just a dot.
Two engines taI.
Press to ATO.
Houston, do we have a go for orbit ops?
Roger, Daedalus. You are go for orbit ops.
Good work, guys.
Four hours to intercept. We're right on scheduIe.
That's not what I'm worried about.
ReIax.
Our man is up there with them.
(GRUNTS)
Ah!
It was worth the wait.
-Yeah, it was. -Thank you.
I owe you one.
Not a bad takeoff. . .
. . .for some rookies.
You guys are over, over the edge. You're in space.
-WeIcome to the cIub. -Thank you, Roger.
Okay, Daedalus has got Ikon on the scopes.
We shouId have a visuaI here momentariIy.
Range, 5000 meters.
Roger, Hawk, we have a visuaI here.
Stand by for a 1 5-second burn.
AII right, get ready to depIoy the arm.
DepIoying the arm.
2200 feet.
Dead center. Good driving up there, Hawk.
Let's Iight them up.
Stand by. T.I. burn in four, three, two, one.
HeIIo, Ikon. How we feeIing today?
Activating fIoods.
Boy. WiII you get a Ioad of this?
Activating radar.
(DRUMMING SOUND)
-He's trying to get a tone on us. -What are you saying?
Shut the radar down. It's painting a target on us.
Radar off.
We're okay.
No wonder the damn thing's orbit is decaying. It's got to weigh 50 ton.
Houston, this is Daedalus. You see what we see?
Roger, Daedalus. We are. . .
. . .studying it from here.
Stand by for a decision.
It's got to have some kind of seIf-defense mechanism.
Our radar must've activated it.
Can you grab it?
I can get it if Hawk can get us in there.
I'm just worried about the mass.
I'm worried about this thing getting pissed again.
Does that Iook Iike a communications sateIIite?
GeneraI, what modifications have your peopIe made here?
That grappIing arm can't handIe that much stress.
It's within operationaI Iimits. Frank can Iatch on.
I don't know about this.
Our mission is to restore this sateIIite. Let's get on with it.
I won't Iet this crew get kiIIed, you incIuded.
Houston, Daedalus. We're stiII standing by.
-Give them a go to capture. -Daedalus, this is Houston.
You have a go for capture.
-Here we go, gentIemen. -Roger, Houston.
We have a go for capture. PuII it in, see what she Iooks Iike.
Give me a minute to get it stabIe.
How does that Iook?
That's cIose enough for me.
-Is he as good as you say he is? -Tank?
He's the man.
AII right. You can go for it.
You're drifting Ieft too far.
HaiI Mary, fuII of grace.
HoIy shit! I got it!
You the man, Tank.
Houston, Daedalus. We've got Ikon.
Good work, feIIas.
You boys Iook mighty sharp.
WeIcome to space, Frank. You've waited a whiIe for this.
Yeah. OnIy 40 years.
AII right, cowboys. Let's round them up. We got work to do.
A IittIe Iight on the subject.
We'II take a Iook at its brains.
I don't think that's the paneI.
You don't, do you?
HoIy cow, Frank.
This is some piece of junk.
This isn't a sightseeing trip, Frank.
-Abort activity. -Frank, Iisten to me.
I said, abort activity. Now.
What's going on, Frank?
Ethan, what the heII's going on? What is this damn thing?
A Russian communications sateIIite, coIoneI.
BuIIshit! You don't think I know a nucIear Iaunch pIatform when I see it?
Why are we heIping the Russians put a missiIe siIo back into orbit?
You're a genius. You figure it out.
You're onIy here as a pubIicity stunt!
You got what you wanted! You're in space!
Now finish the damn mission!
Go ahead, Frank.
You're on a secure Iine now.
You were right to be concerned about this thing coming out of orbit.
It happens to have six armed nuclear warheads onboard.
What's he taIking about?
I have no idea.
GeneraI, is there something you want to teII us?
Yes.
Ikon is a reIic from the CoId War.
It has fIoated dead in space ever since the Soviet Union feII.
There are six missiIes onboard. . .
. . .targeted at strategic American instaIIations.
AII, most regrettabIy. . .
. . .in Iarge metropoIitan areas.
If Ikon goes offIine. . .
. . .it wiII assume that. . .
. . .there has been a catastrophe and wiII initiate Iaunch on its own.
You picked a heII of a time for a confession, generaI.
Those are our boys up there.
And that is a treaty vioIation. A goddamn big one.
You bastard.
Bob, you don 't know how touched I am that you're worried about our safety.
Why don't you ask your friend the generaI. . .
. . .how my guidance system from SkyIab got aboard this six-gun?
It was stoIen by the KGB. . .
. . .from Mr. Gerson's personaI fiIes.
This is aII news to me.
You'd have us put it back into orbit fully armed and keep it a secret...
...just to save your ass?
PeopIe, we have a reaI probIem here.
AII right, huddIe up.
We got a big-ass probIem.
We're Iatched on to a 1 00-megaton bomb traveIing 1 7,000 miIes an hour.
What about that shit heap? You think we can get it out into deep space?
Four payIoad assist rockets? Just.
Maybe. I don 't know. Let me crunch some numbers.
Just okay, Frank.
Somebody's outside the ship.
Daedalus, you have an unscheduIed EVA you want to teII me about?
What?
He's jammed the air Iock door, Frank.
Remove the paneI and override it.
Turn on the Iights.
Ethan, what are you doing out there?
Ethan, what are you doing?
Your job, Frank.
Putting Ikon back into geosync orbit.
You don't know what you're doing. Come back. That's an order.
You don 't know the sequencing.
-Roger. -Yeah.
Get suited up. When the door's fixed, get out there.
AII right.
Ethan, do not connect those PAM rockets. Do you understand?
How Iong?
I nearIy got it.
Don't Iock onto those PAM rockets. You hear me?
Got it.
It's arming itseIf.
Oh, God!
Oh, Lord.
-Hawk. -I'm on it.
(GRUNTING)
( ALARM SOUNDS)
Shit, we got a fire in here.
-We Iost Ikon and Ethan. -What?
Roger's hurt, mid-deck. He's bIeeding badIy.
See what you can do for him.
Tank, contain the situation. KiII the O2 switch.
KiIIing it.
Hawk and I are going out.
I got it.
Status GBC.
Check.
They've got the fire contained.
Range, 1 00 feet. It's acceIerating, Miss HoIIand.
They're gonna Iose it.
I assume you got a pIan.
I think I can reconfigure the fIight controI system for stabiIization burn.
The onIy troubIe is, I gotta do that at exactIy the right time.
That's where you come in.
You gotta be my eyes whiIe I'm in there.
Cue me when the sateIIite comes around and Iines up with the shuttIe.
But what about the rate of descent?
I'II fire a short burst from the PAM, and that'II counter-thrust.
Just enabIe the PAM rocket to accept my command.
HeII, I thought this was gonna be hard.
Jerry, to make aII this work. . .
. . .give me range and rate of opening readings.
Frank, you have one shot, maybe.
You miss, you'II never make it back.
If those bombs hit the atmosphere, it might not matter anyway.
Come on, Iet's suit up and get out of here.
That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.
2200 feet.
HoIy cow. This is a bad idea.
Frank, by my caIcuIations, you got 1 5 seconds. . .
... to ignite that PAM.
-Speak to me, Hawk. -We're aImost there, Frank.
Five.
-On a count of one. -Four.
-One. -Three.
Two, one.
On my mark, Frank, shut her down.
Five, four. . .
... three...
Come on, Frank.
... two, one...
...mark.
That's it, Frank. It's static.
Okay.
Houston, this is DaedaIus. We've arrested the fall.
Attaboy, Frank!
Oh, thank God.
Son of a bitch.
He's out.
I'II hook up the extra PayIoad Assist ModuIes. You take Jonny Quest back.
We've got a probIem. We've onIy got one rocket Ieft.
One PAM's got no chance of getting that thing into orbit.
You got another probIem.
Oh, no. Even if we get this thing going. . .
. . .it's not gonna have enough power with two broken paneIs.
Take the kid back, I'II handIe this.
How wiII you handIe it, professor? You're a piIot, remember?
I'II need aII the extra O2 moduIes you've got.
What are you taIking about?
No.
I Iove you, but why do you have to be such a kiIIjoy?
Besides, you ever see a prettier moon?
What's he taIking about, Frank?
You'd never make a quarter of a miIIion miIes.
Oh, heII, yes, I wiII.
I just gotta go haIfway. The moon's gravity wiII do the rest.
I'II fire them into outer space and Iet them. . .
. . .seIf-destruct.
That's not a soIution, Frank. One PAM rocket's not nearIy enough thrust.
Let's everybody sIow down. There's got to be another way.
There isn't.
No.
Gotta be a winner in every race. Looks Iike it's me this time.
As usuaI, huh?
Oh, shit.
-He can't do that. -What's the status here?
What's the status here?
One orbitaI engine gone, primary and secondary guidance system.
HydrauIics are questionabIe.
Roger?
He has a concussion.
Oh, God.
With no Roger and no Hawk, Frank. . .
. . .you'II have to piIot this bird by yourseIf.
And you'II have to do it dead-stick.
Don't Iook at me. I've fIown nothing bigger than a Cessna in 30 years.
Looks Iike I'm getting the better part of the deaI here.
Stop Iaughing. You used up aII your oxygen, dummy.
Frank's hot-wired it for you. . .
. . .but the trick is, those missiIes run out of fueI in 20,000 miIes.
You launch them too soon...
. . .the warheads couId find their way back home to Earth.
Too Iate, they'd run out of fueI and then you'd be stuck with them.
Is this gonna work?
I don't know.
All right, fellas...
. . .Iet's shoot this baby to the moon.
Count down to one, right?
On a count of one.
One.
Ikon has Ieft our gravitationaI fieId.
Hawk was abIe to Iaunch the warheads into outer space.
How's Daedalus?
We have a criticaI situation.
The coIIision Ieft us with one good orbitaI maneuvering engine. . .
. . .and it's Ieaking fueI.
If there's not enough fueI for a de-orbit burn. . . .
It'II burn up, or it'II skip off.
What about guidance and avionics?
WeII, the computers are unresponsive.
The onIy thing operating at 1 00 percent is their airfIow.
They're gonna have to reenter the atmosphere and set her down in manuaI.
-That's impossibIe. -WeII, it's never happened before.
The onIy piIots aIive who'd even think about it are Roger and Hawk.
-Roger's wounded and Hawk's-- -Okay.
Let's get them as cIose as we can, then abort the Ianding.
They'II have to baiI out. What are the survivaI probabiIities?
20 percent at best.
Zero if they try to set it down. The bird's dead.
I doubt it wouId even gIide, with its structuraI damage.
20 percent is better than zero.
Okay.
-You stiII have that thing? -Yes. She'II dance aII the way home.
Daedalus.
Stand by for Eugene Davis.
The judgement here is to go for FIorida.
We'll get you as close to Kennedy as we can.
Now, you're stiII inverted. And you're fIying taiI-first.
OrdinariIy, the autopiIot wouId do a de-orbit burn to right you.
-But we don't have a computer, right? -That's right.
You don't have much fueI Ieft in that engine, either.
SweII.
Stand by for de-orbit burn.
That wasn't enough. FIip us around and use the forward RCS prop.
Shit.
AII right.
Shit.
Easy, Frank. She's not a fighter jet.
A fIying brick.
I hope not.
I'm gonna put her in a steep dive.
Make sure we don't overshoot.
I'II make a series of tight turns.
SpiII off some of this speed.
Jerry, cIip everybody in. At about 1 0,000, we shouId be over FIorida.
Pop the hatch and get everybody out of here.
Ethan and Roger first.
Tank, you and Jerry after that.
I'II Iine her up for a ditch over the ocean. You got that, everyone?
Come on, hoId together.
You're going in too steep, Frank.
She'II faII apart around us.
HoId together just a IittIe Ionger.
AItitude 30 miIes over Texas.
Come on, just a IittIe Ionger.
Give me one more turn.
He's trying to caII, sir.
He's fried his antenna.
Trajectory, where is he?
He's on finaI, but way too hot. He'II overshoot at this rate.
Coming up on 1 2,000.
EquaIizing.
Jerry, bIow that hatch. Get everybody out of here.
Roger.
BIowing the hatch.
One gone.
Tank, you get going too.
What about you?
I'II Iine her up for a visuaI, then I'm out.
Two gone.
Get out of here. Do you hear me? Get moving.
What the heII you guys doing?
We're a team, Frank.
Get out of here. That's an order.
We're staying.
Read out my airspeed, then.
500. Bring her up.
This is Recover Five. You're way too hot.
PuII out now.
Negative, Recover.
AII right, give me airspeed.
300. Gear coming.
Gear down.
AII right, there's nothing to this. Just tap the brakes a IittIe bit.
He's gone into a staII.
Airspeed?
220.
21 0.
200.
1 85. She's gonna staII, Frank.
Speed?
1 75. Drop the nose.
What do you say we drop the nose?
WheeIs stopped. Daedalus is home.
(LAUGHS)
Yeah!
( CHEERING)
Just a waIk in the park, Frank.
Hey, Gene.
-Yeah? -Never mind.
BOB: I never doubted Frank Corvin for a minute.
I brought him in on Project DaedaIus 40 years ago and on this one too.
I'II teII you this: For commitment, courage and consistency. . .
. . .this group bIows away aII the teams I've ever had.
Do you think he made it?
Yeah. I think he made it.
SINATRA SINGS: Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars
In other words
Hold my hand
In other words
Baby, kiss me
Fill my heart with song
And let me sing forevermore
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words
Please be true
In other words
I love you
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