For All Mankind (2019) s01e10 Episode Script
A City Upon a Hill
1 - [BEEPING.]
- [ROCKET ENGINE RUMBLING.]
[DEKE.]
Ellen? [BEEPING CONTINUES.]
Ellen? [BEEPING CONTINUES.]
[PANTING.]
Ellen? Deke? Ellen, you're alive.
Thank God.
You've been out for almost six minutes.
I'm I'm here.
You need to abort the burn.
I don't have much left in my OPS.
There's a puncture in my suit.
[GRUNTS.]
Shit.
Houston, our abort handle is non-responsive.
Houston, do you read? [DEKE.]
I've been trying.
I can't raise them.
Shit.
[PANTING.]
[BEEPING CONTINUES.]
Harry! - [ELLEN GRUNTING.]
- [DEKE GRUNTING, PANTING.]
[STRAINING.]
[DEKE GRUNTING.]
[GRUNTING.]
[ELLEN, DEKE GRUNTING.]
[BOTH PANTING.]
[AIR HISSING.]
- [GROANING.]
- [BEEPING CONTINUES.]
[SHARP GROAN.]
[GROANING CONTINUES.]
- Keep pressure on it.
- [GROANS.]
[MOANING.]
[GROANS.]
[BEEPING CONTINUES.]
[BEEPING STOPS.]
[PANTING.]
Houston, our S-IVB's fuel is depleted.
Do you copy? Houston.
Do you read, Houston? Houston, do you read? Do you read, Houston? [KENNEDY.]
Is there hope for any sort of, uh, rescue? [WEISNER.]
That is unclear at the moment, Mr.
President.
[KENNEDY.]
What happened up there, Harold? [WEISNER.]
Well, sir, it's, uh We're going over everything leading up to Apollo 24's booster ignition and it seems like the replacement computer may have mistakenly thought the ship was still in its first rather, uh, initial orbit and booted up for the [KENNEDY.]
Could this be connected to the Soviets? Sabotage, or [WEISNER.]
I I'm not saying that necessarily, sir, I [KENNEDY.]
What in the goddamn hell are you saying, Harold? - [WEISNER.]
I-It's complicated, sir.
- [KENNEDY.]
No, it isn't! You've had three goddamn accidents in as many months! What kind of chickenshit operation are you running down there? I do not need this right now.
Already got Ronnie Reagan up my ass.
Him and his whole "America was better way back when" thing What does he even remember way back when? Jim Crow? The Depression? Vietnam? It wasn't that great, let me tell you.
I don't care what you have to do.
You get those astronauts back home.
You hear me, Harold? [GRUNTS.]
[SPEAKING RUSSIAN.]
English.
I know you learn it.
You all do.
See, I know a lot about you guys.
I was in Korea.
[SIGHS.]
You cut off my oxygen.
Really? - [GROANS.]
- What were you doing in our mine, Ivan? Hmm? What were you looking for? Nothing.
What's this for then? Hmm? [CLATTERS ON FLOOR.]
What was it for, that device you left in our mine? The one you destroyed.
Yeah, you put it in our territory.
- Your territory? - Yeah.
That's funny.
Your territory, your mine.
This is the moon, mister.
Belongs to everyone.
Molly Cobb and I discovered ice there over three years ago.
Yeah, if it's about who was here first, Alexei Leonov was here before you, Edward Baldwin.
And he said moon belonged to the whole world.
I seem to remember him saying something about "the Marxist-Leninist way of life".
Look you want ice.
So do we.
There is enough ice for everyone.
Why don't you tell me what you're building over there at Zvezda? I've seen all the regolith you're kicking up.
Hmm? What are you building over there? I can't tell you.
Didn't think so.
You need to let me go.
My compatriots will be looking for me soon.
Yeah, well, see, I'm not that concerned about your compatriots 'cause I know you've got one rover, just like us.
And it's over here.
So if your compatriots wanted to come looking for you, they wouldn't get very far, now, would they, Ivan? Guess not.
Guess not.
[MOLLY.]
500 feet.
300 feet.
Apollo 25 splashdown.
Roger that, 25.
Condition of the crew? I'm good, the astro wife is smiling, and Dennis is seasick.
GUIDO, give me a situation report on Apollo 24.
Still got no communication, Flight.
No telemetry, no bio-readings.
Only able to track 'em on radar.
Jesus, we don't even know if they're alive, do we? All we know is that they're headed toward deep space.
- [CLICKS.]
- [DEKE GROANS.]
[CLICKS.]
Wish we could talk to Houston, find out what the hell happened.
The long-range S-band must've been damaged during the burn.
We're way past short-range VHF.
I sure am glad they upgraded these goddamn comm systems last year.
Guarantee you, we were still using the old output buffer, none of this happens, and we're back on our way to Ed.
Maybe so, but you need to calm down.
It's not good for you to get so worked up.
And I need you focused if we're gonna pull this off.
Pull what off? With that overburn, we're miles off course and going way too fast to enter lunar orbit.
You think you're up for another burn? You saw.
I mean, Harry.
He got dragged into the plume.
Swallowed him whole.
We'll have to ditch the cargo.
Gonna need just about all the fuel we've got left to get our velocity down to 35,650 feet per second.
The margin's gonna be Well there won't be a margin.
Well, it's either that or we're on our way to Jupiter and Ed stays stranded.
So what are we waiting for? You want me on the computer or the sextant? Let's dump the dead weight first.
Be my pleasure to get rid of that fucking thing.
[ELLEN.]
SMRCS-iso valves are all gray.
CSM separating.
[DEKE.]
Sayonara.
[WALTERS ON TV.]
prolonged communication failure, likely caused by physical damage to the command-service module's antennae.
[PHONE RINGS.]
His hope is that whatever event damaged the antennae did not also damage the fuel tanks or guidance systems.
[CATA.]
Aleida! [WALTERS.]
ended on an optimistic note, saying that astronauts are "a different breed.
They train together tirelessly" - ¿Papá? - [OCTAVIO.]
Aleida, are you okay? Yeah, I'm fine.
Where are you? My hearing was this morning.
They say they're gonna send me back to Mexico.
What do you mean? They can't.
I'm sorry, Aleida, I I should have been more careful.
But don't worry, I talked to Cata, and she said you can still stay there and keep going to school.
I will send her money.
I don't wanna stay with her.
When will you be back? I don't know, mija.
They say if they catch me again, they can send me to prison.
But you don't worry, mija, hey.
Everything is going to be okay.
I promise you.
Te quiero, mija.
Te quiero, papá.
And now, we bring you live to the press conference at Houston's Johnson Space Center, where head of the astronaut office, Buzz Aldrin, and administrator Harold Weisner are discussing the crisis in space.
[BUZZ.]
Astronaut Liu is survived by his wife, Cecilia, and their two daughters.
He was a good man.
And a good father.
- [MALE REPORTER.]
Gentlemen, hey, hey! - [BUZZ.]
Front row.
[MAN.]
Mr.
Aldrin, what about the status of Commander Wilson and Deke Slayton? What we know right now is that an unexpected firing of Apollo 24's stage-IVB engine performed the translunar injection burn earlier than planned.
[MAN.]
Gentlemen, gentlemen! [MAN 2.]
Mr.
Weisner, Mr.
Weisner! Sources are saying there's been talk of possible Soviet sabotage in the Okay, no, no, no, no.
Those are unfounded rumors.
Then what caused the engine to fire? We're looking into that.
- Are they headed for the moon? - [SLURPS.]
We cannot comment on that at this time.
[ALL SHOUTING.]
Attitude looking good.
Trajectory converging.
[ELLEN.]
Helium pressure holding.
Okay.
Good on trajectory, now let's put on the brakes.
- Configuring DAP for braking burn.
- [BEEPS.]
- [ROCKET ENGINE RUMBLING.]
- We're a long way from 35,650.
Still over 36,000 feet per second.
We're not gonna have enough gas in the SPS to make it.
Goddamn it.
We need to use the RCS.
Switching to manual.
We burn through that, we won't be able to control the vehicle.
- We'll be dead in the water.
- It's better than missing the moon.
All right, firing all four RCS thrusters plus-X.
[THRUSTERS FIRING.]
- [BEEPING.]
- Five seconds.
- [THRUSTERS FIRING.]
- Come on.
Come on.
- [WHOOSHING STOPS.]
- Shit.
RCS depleted.
SPS at three, two, one.
[RUMBLING.]
- [RUMBLING QUIETS.]
- We didn't make it.
By 30 fucking feet.
- [APPLAUDING.]
- [WEISNER.]
Yes, and thank you, sir.
Yeah, it certainly is a Christmas miracle.
[CHUCKLES.]
We're all very happy over here.
[INDISTINCT.]
- What's happening? - They're alive.
They've corrected their trajectory towards the moon.
[SIGHS.]
Okay, I will keep you updated as the situation progresses.
All right.
Thanks again.
[PHONE SETTLES IN CRADLE.]
[BANGS DESK.]
[CHATTERING.]
To enter orbit, you not only have to be going exactly the right direction, you have to be moving at exactly the right speed.
If you're even one mile per hour over, lunar gravity won't hold onto the craft.
It's like a marble going past a drain.
It's going too fast, it'll just shoot right by.
Okay, so they just need to slow themselves down, right? By our calculations, they've used all their fuel just to get to this point.
Oh.
Well, then, I guess I'll just call the president back in the middle of his Christmas dinner and let him know that, once again, our good news has turned into shit.
[MARGO.]
I might hold off on that call, sir.
Why? Is there some way to slow them down? No.
But there may be something Ed Baldwin can do.
[WRITING ON BLACKBOARD.]
[SIGHS.]
I've been sending a message every 30 minutes for the last three days, sir.
He's just refusing to answer.
Well, then send one every ten.
Understood? There's got to be another way to reach him.
[TYPING.]
[WHIRRING.]
- [WHIRRING STOPS.]
- [BEEPS.]
Can I have some water, please? Sure.
Soon as you tell me what you're building over there at Zvezda.
[SIGHS.]
Edward, what is your plan? My what? Your plan.
What is your strategy? You didn't tell Houston about me.
Why? I'm commander of this base.
It's within my discretion to withhold information when I deem necessary.
You haven't communicated with them in days before I came here.
- So, you're monitoring my communications? - Of course.
Same way you are monitoring ours.
I've been away from my station for, what, 37 hours? My oxygen would have depleted by now.
My crew thinks I'm dead.
They will call my wife, tell her I'm dead.
She will tell my daughter I'm dead.
This part of your plan? I know you hear me.
You're a father too.
Look, I know it's not the same, but when my Sveta was born, she was sick.
She was very ill.
Seven days she was in hospital.
Poked with needles and put into machines over and over and over again.
Such a tiny body.
So helpless.
And you are helpless.
She's ten now.
Still goes to hospital every month.
Now, they will tell her her father is dead.
Yeah, well, that's a really touching story, Ivan.
So you have a sick kid, and now you and me can become pals.
That's really good.
KGB cook up that whole story, or did you sprinkle in some details of your own? I would never lie about my family.
Well, I wouldn't fault you.
You gotta follow orders, right? Is that what you do? Follow orders? I don't think so.
Edward Baldwin doesn't follow orders.
No, he's a real American cowboy, right? White hat and loyal horse.
Good guy.
I'd stop talking if I were you, Ivan.
My name is Mikhail.
Mikhail Mikhailovich Vasiliev.
And I ask you again what is your plan? Or maybe you don't have a plan.
Maybe you charge into this without thinking it through.
Okay.
Let's see what your options are.
If you let me go back to Zvezda, I will have to say where I was.
That's not very good for United States.
But you also cannot keep me here, right? You have that resupply mission en route.
What will they think if they see cosmonaut tied to a chair? No, that's not There is one way out of this.
Poor cosmonaut died on the surface all by himself.
Who knows what happened? Maybe tore his suit on rover.
Maybe fell into crater.
Discovered by great American hero.
But it was too late.
What a tragedy.
Maybe you already thought about this? I'm not gonna kill you, Ivan.
Of course not.
You are America.
And America is good.
America is kind.
America saves the world from evil Soviet empire.
- Shut up.
- But you know what, Edward? I've seen real America.
Oh, yes.
I have seen bodies of babies and women and children ripped apart by good American bombs.
- Shut up.
- In Cambodia, Dresden.
- I said shut up.
- Hiroshima.
- I said shut up! - Korea.
- [BALDWIN GRUNTS.]
- [MIKHAIL GROANS.]
This is you.
- This is America! - I said shut up! [GROANING.]
Goddamn it! [MIKHAIL.]
Ohh! [EXHALES.]
[MIKHAIL EXHALES.]
Shit.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Oh, I'm I'm sorry.
I God, Aleida, I'm I heard about your father.
Is he okay? Have you heard from him? What did he say? Is there gonna be a hearing or They're sending him back to Mexico.
It's, uh It's gonna be okay.
Your father is a smart man.
He'll figure something out.
He talked to the woman we live with.
Said I could stay there, keep going to school.
Okay.
Good.
I think that's good.
I don't wanna live with her.
Well it's only temporary.
I'm sure you'll figure something else out at some point.
Maybe Maybe I could stay with you.
Um, I don't know.
I I promise I won't be a bother.
You won't even notice I'm there.
Aleida, it My father, he trusts you.
He says I should listen to you.
Please.
I'm sorry.
I just It's a lot to ask, Aleida.
My life's not Well, this job, it's all-consuming.
You have to understand, I can't just I know.
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have asked.
Well, we can still do our sessions, but I Uh [WOMAN SHOUTING IN DISTANCE.]
Cata? Gabriel? Livi? [PHONE RINGS.]
[RINGS.]
- Hello? - Aleida, where were you? I've been calling all day.
The apartment They're all gone.
Gone? What do you mean, gone? I think the police were here.
Aleida.
[IN SPANISH.]
Listen to me.
Grab everything you can take with you and get out of there.
- Never go back.
[IN SPANISH.]
You'll have to come to Mexico.
I'm going to figure out a way to send you money so you can buy a bus ticket.
What? Aleida, this better not be about that boy.
It's not.
I talked to Ms.
Madison.
She She said I could stay with her.
What, she said that? Yes.
¿Papá? [IN SPANISH.]
I'm sorry.
That's great news! It's just that the idea of being separated from you I'll be fine.
I know.
Please be careful.
And don't bother Ms.
Madison too much.
She's a very good person.
- I will call you when I make it to Parras.
- [SHOUTING, INDISTINCT.]
- [MAN.]
Check upstairs! I love you, Aleida.
Love you too.
[VOICES CONTINUE.]
[DEKE.]
You know, it's not the worst way to go.
Which? [CHUCKLES.]
Because right now we can pick from suffocation, starvation Cannibalism.
[LAUGHS.]
Or we could just open the hatch.
I don't know.
I kinda wanna see how far we'll get.
[CHUCKLES.]
Go farther in the universe than anyone's ever gone.
That's something, at least.
I've alway [EXHALES.]
[PANTS.]
[GROANS.]
The staples are holding.
Looks like there's internal bleeding.
[DEKE GROANS.]
Shit.
Looks like you might get farther in the universe than me.
That's not funny, Deke.
It makes sense.
I always knew you had a bit of John Glenn in you.
I mean, yeah, you were quiet, a little hard on yourself, but when you walk into a room, people pay attention.
When you speak people listen.
A lot of good that'll do me now.
[CHUCKLES.]
Oh.
You know those letters we're supposed to write before we you know? The "in case of my death" letter.
I was so distracted by mission prep, Ed Suddenly it's launch day, and I got 'bout two and a half minutes to think of something to write to Marge.
[SIGHS.]
I'm sure she'll understand.
She deserved better.
You know, for three months, I lived on tomato soup.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
So I could save up enough for a ring.
[LAUGHS.]
Almost 20 years later, and I can't believe that woman said yes.
How about you? How'd Larry propose? Uh It was very really nice, actually.
Uh, he took me to Memorial Park.
I thought we were just going for a picnic and then I turned around and there Larry was down on one knee.
And he You okay? Yeah.
I just don't know what I'm doing.
[CHUCKLES.]
I mean, here we are, headed to God-knows-where, and, uh I'm still It's just, Larry, he [SIGHS.]
Our marriage, it I knew if I wanted to be an astronaut I couldn't let people see certain parts of myself.
Been that way my whole life.
What are you talking about? I'm in love with someone.
But it's not Larry.
Her name is Pam.
Pam.
The bartender? - No.
- Yeah.
[LAUGHS.]
Are you saying Jesus.
You gotta be kidding me.
[SCOFFS.]
I mean, that's [CHUCKLES.]
[SIGHS.]
Uh I guess I shouldn't have said anything.
I'm sorry I brought it up.
So am I.
[DEKE SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
[EXHALES.]
[SNAPS.]
[SNAPS.]
[SNAPS.]
- [MIKHAIL SINGING IN RUSSIAN.]
- [ELECTRICITY PULSING.]
[MIKHAIL SINGING CONTINUES.]
[SINGING CONTINUES.]
[SWITCH CLICKING.]
You do something? I am not Houdini.
[SINGING IN RUSSIAN.]
[SINGING CONTINUES.]
Will you stop singing, please? You prefer Elvis? I prefer silence.
When I was young, we were not allowed to listen to Elvis.
Yeah.
He was banned in the USSR.
Danger of moral corruption to Soviet youth.
But for one ruble, bootleggers would copy song onto X-ray film and play it on record player.
- [SWITCH CLICKING.]
- [BEEPS.]
[MIKHAIL SINGING "ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?".]
[CONTINUES.]
Oh, he's fantastic.
[VOCALIZING.]
You like him? My wife, she wanted the first dance at our wedding to be "Love Me Tender".
I wanted Sinatra.
Oh.
What did you play? "Love Me Tender".
[LAUGHS.]
Is she, your wife She formidable? That's definitely one way to put it.
- We went to go see him last year.
- No.
I don't know.
It was kinda sad.
- Why? - He was like a clown up there.
The hair, costumes, big fat belly That's not Elvis.
Ahh.
[CLICKS TONGUE.]
You Americans, you throw away so quickly.
Everything needs to be new.
New car, new dishwasher, new Elvis Presley.
Sorry, mister, Elvis will always be king.
Yeah.
But Ol' Blue Eyes on the other hand - he just gets better with time.
- Oh.
- What? - Huh? The light, it's a pattern.
Look.
Three short three long.
- Three short.
- SOS.
Shit.
- [SWITCH CLICKS.]
- [WHIRRING.]
Houston, this is Jamestown.
Ed, thank God.
You okay? I'm fine.
I got your message.
Nice touch with the lights.
Hell you been doing up there, buddy? Just needed a little alone time.
[DANIELLE.]
Well, we sure are glad you came up for air.
We got some new problems here.
[SCOTT ON TV.]
for translunar injection, or TLI, stating that if the engine fired too early, it could significantly alter Apollo 24's trajectory, and fuel needed to correct course is very limited in the Apollo spacecraft.
Furthermore, he addressed NASA's cryptic press conference, saying he suspected this was due to a prolonged communication failure likely caused by physical damage to the command-service module's antennas.
His hope is that whatever event damaged the antennas did not also damage the fuel tanks or guidance systems.
Today, as families across America celebrate the Christmas holiday, a NASA spokesman confirmed that there has still been no contact - with Commander Ellen Wilson - [MAN.]
Excuse me.
- and Deke Slayton.
- Sweetie.
- [SCOTT.]
No further information was given.
- Hey, Pam, can I get a beer? - All right.
- [PHONE RINGS.]
Still, the prayers of the nation are with these brave astronauts Hello? [LARRY.]
She's alive.
Thank God.
They're not saying anything on the news, and I was starting to think that Anyway, thank you, Larry.
We're trying to figure out a rescue.
Nobody knows about this outside of NASA, but I thought you should know.
What, is she okay? Where is she? Is she in I can't talk about that right now.
I'm already taking a big risk even telling you this.
I appreciate that, but I'm in the dark here, Larry, with everybody else.
I know, and I'm sorry.
But that's how it has to be right now.
With security so high and this media blackout [SIGHS.]
we just have to be careful.
You have every right to know, but - But you don't wanna take the risk.
- That's not what I said.
Listen, we're doing everything we can.
Okay? I promise I'll do my best to keep you informed.
I have to go right now.
[RONALD REAGAN.]
America's space program has become dangerously inept under President Kennedy's leadership.
They say it's just a run of bad luck.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, friends, that dog won't hunt.
[SCOTT.]
That was Governor Reagan of California continuing to criticize the Kennedy administration in the run-up to the inaugural Conservative Political Action Conference.
The Kennedy administration and representatives at NASA have not responded other than to call for unity in this time of national emergency.
Excuse me.
Are you Pam? One and only.
[CHUCKLES.]
I'm sorry, I just I've heard a lot about you.
My husband comes here a lot.
Well, a lot of husbands come here a lot.
What can I get you? Um, surprise me.
[WOMEN SHOUTING ON TV.]
[CHUCKLES.]
The way he talks about this place, like it's hallowed ground or something.
I mean, it's It's a shithole.
[CHUCKLES.]
Yes.
It is.
[WOMEN ON TV SHOUTING, CONTINUES.]
I would never have dared step foot in here before.
No.
It was always, you know, understood, one of the unspoken rules, that wives don't go to the Outpost.
Sure have a lot of rules, don't they? Hmm.
Yes, they do.
And you know what? They're all Excuse my language, they're Actually, no.
Don't excuse my language.
They're bullshit.
All of them.
They way we're supposed to dress and speak and think, it I mean Forgive me, but from the outside looking in, you have it pretty good.
You're married to an astronaut.
The whole country worships you.
Sitting there in your big, beautiful living rooms.
Listening to your husbands in space on your squawk boxes.
So, if you're looking for someone to feel sorry for you, just don't look here.
There are a lot of people out there who don't have I'm sorry.
With everything going on the past couple days, I [CLEARS THROAT.]
It's okay.
Did you know any of the astronauts in the accident? I knew them all.
Some better than others.
You know Ellen? Wilson? Yeah.
We've become good friends over the past couple of years.
- Since she was in training.
- Mm-hmm.
And then something happens and you're just another person watching it on the news.
What about you? You know anyone up there? Yes.
My husband.
He's at Jamestown.
- You're Karen Baldwin? - I am.
- My God, I'm so sorry - No, don't.
Don't.
I didn't come here looking for pity.
Hey.
You should come with me.
Come with you where? To JSC.
They have a private viewing room for families where we can watch the missions during a media blackout.
I don't think that's a very good idea.
Well, it's better than watching it on the news, right? Well, is it even allowed? [CHUCKLES.]
You mean, is it against the rules? [MARGO.]
We've got a 33-minute window during which Apollo 24 will be within lunar orbit range.
Ed, you'll launch the LSAM up from the lunar surface at exactly eight hours, 50 minutes from now.
That will put you right alongside them at the exact moment they enter the window.
You'll dock the two craft and use the LSAM's engine to slow 24 into lunar orbit.
Copy that.
If this doesn't happen within the window, Ellen and Deke will just keep drifting off into deep space.
And if Ed is still alongside them at that point, he won't have enough fuel to get back either.
Flight, we might have another problem.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
What is it, Gordo? The distance you're asking Ed to fly.
You're really pushing the range of the LSAM.
Gordo's right.
He'd barely have enough fuel to get up and back, let alone pulling twice his weight with 24.
What about Apollo 15? The descent stage has fuel left in it after we touched down.
It's just been sitting there for three years.
Just take the rover out there and go get it.
That could work, Flight.
But the LEM wasn't designed to be a fuel pump.
We'll need to work up a procedure on how to get access to the fill-drain valves.
Tim [CLEARS THROAT, CHUCKLES.]
Take LMSYS and Control to the SSR, work up a procedure.
Make sure to loop in Grumman and North American.
All right.
Let's go.
We don't have a lot of time, people.
Minutes count.
Ed, we'll get you those procedures soon.
Roger that, Flight.
[CHATTERING.]
[APPLAUDING.]
[INAUDIBLE.]
[WHISTLING, CHEERING.]
- All right, get a room already.
- [LAUGHING.]
[MOLLY.]
Come on.
All right.
Okay.
Okay.
Flight, I need to talk to you for a moment.
Molly, I I had to consider the safety of two astronauts over one.
- And if the same thing happened again - Margo.
You made the right call.
I'd have done the same thing.
That's not what I wanna talk about.
Oh.
I got a pretty good look at 24 when the J-2 fired.
Think when our ship slammed into the side, it may have knocked the S-band antenna loose.
Could explain the comm issues.
But I think their short-range radio might still be working.
Thanks, Molly.
We'll have INCO look at that.
Okay.
All right, everyone.
Let's get back to work.
Okay.
Oh, one second.
You're not in uniform.
What are you talking about? An astronaut that's been up there wears gold, not silver.
Your pin? You don't No.
Hey.
You remember what you told me? One day they were gonna pin one of these to your collar.
[CHUCKLES.]
[SNIFFLES.]
[CHUCKLES.]
[LAUGHS.]
Do you have any idea of the security risk? I mean, you open yourself up to all kinds of Who knows? Blackmail, manipulation, for what? That's not fair.
"Fair"? Don't you get it? You put all of us at risk.
The whole goddamn program.
I guess I thought you would've understood.
You pushed for us when no one else did.
Because you were good pilots.
You being women was beside the point.
It's the whole point, Deke.
The world's changing.
And you helped change it.
Well, I'll take the I'll take the [GROANS.]
Ahh.
[GROANS.]
Ohh.
[WHIMPERING.]
Breathe.
[GROANS.]
Focus, people.
We've got just over five hours until LSAM launch.
Is it ready? Good to go.
Okay.
Raise Ed.
Tell him we're sending over the fuel procedure.
- [BEEPS.]
- [WHIRRING.]
You will need my help, Edward.
You don't have enough time.
And you know this.
I've got this under control.
When a ship is in distress, international law gives obligation to assist rescue.
- I said I got it under control.
- Edward, you're not in Korea anymore.
We are on the dark ocean together.
We have no choice but to trust each other.
Let me help you.
[CHATTERING.]
- Hi.
- Hey! [CHUCKLES.]
Where they at? He'll be launching soon.
- Yeah.
- All right.
Proud of you.
- Hey, Pam.
- [MOUTHS WORD.]
Come and sit.
[INDISTINCT.]
Ten minutes to launch, Ed.
[BALDWIN.]
Roger that.
Going off VOX while I button up here.
Thank you, Mikhail.
Oh, I almost forgot.
Yeah, you may need that for your drive back to Zvezda.
Edward.
Good luck.
[AIR HISSING.]
All right, Houston.
LSAM hatch closed.
Cabin pressurized.
- Master Arm on.
Running P12 ascent.
- [BEEPS.]
- How we looking, Control? - Good to go, Flight.
LMSYS? All good here.
Okay.
Initiate LSAM launch sequence.
[BALDWIN.]
Five seconds, proceed.
LSAM launch sequence initiated.
Fire engine in three, two, one.
[BALDWIN.]
Ignition.
[ROCKET ENGINE RUMBLING.]
Commencing pitch-over.
[THRUSTERS FIRING.]
[CHATTERING.]
[CHATTER ON RADIO.]
[GORDO.]
Ed, 24 will be coming at you soon.
Once they're in range, you should be able to raise them on your short-range VHF.
[BALDWIN.]
Copy that.
[DEKE SIGHS.]
[BALDWIN THROUGH RADIO.]
Apollo 24, this is Jamestown LSAM.
24, this is Jamestown LSAM.
24, Jamestown Is that you, Ed? Roger that.
Funny running into you guys up here.
[CHUCKLES.]
We're here to rescue you.
[CHUCKLES.]
It's good to hear your voice, Ellen.
How you doing, Deke? Hate to break it to you, Ed, but space has made him even more soft and cuddly than usual.
I'm sorry to hear that.
All right, let's get you two down to the deck.
We don't have much time before the window closes, so the plan is to dock you with the LSAM and then slow both of [ELLEN.]
Ed, do you have a visual on us yet? Negative.
What does he mean, "they're tumbling"? 24 burned all the RCS prop recovering from the overburn.
Even the CM thrusters.
They're bone-dry.
Can't correct the rotation.
[BALDWIN.]
I matched their speed, but I haven't been able to dock.
They're wobbly.
Too damn much for the docking probe to latch on.
[MARGO.]
Goddamn it.
How much time do we have left in the window, GUIDO? Twenty-four minutes, Flight.
You really shouldn't be here.
She invited me.
Don't worry.
I didn't say anything that What do you think people are going to think? I don't care what they think.
- You can't stay.
It's no - No.
Ellen? [GRUNTS.]
Ellen? - You okay? - [LATCH CLICKS.]
About before Deke, you don't have to.
No, I do.
It's important.
Like I said [BREATHING HEAVILY.]
you got great things ahead.
[INHALES, EXHALES.]
If we make it through this don't tell anyone else what you told me.
You hear me? What you told me keep it to yourself.
There's too many people in the world like me.
And it's all they'll see.
[BALDWIN.]
24, come in.
- [SWITCH CLICKS.]
- This is 24.
So, Houston's still working on a fix for the docking situation.
They got the sims running nonstop, so they should be coming up with a procedure shortly.
So stand by.
He's not gonna be able to dock.
There's no way.
Not in time.
What if he doesn't need to dock? I may have an idea.
[BALDWIN.]
I'm all ears.
Gene Cernan once told me that in space, even a girl can toss a football like Joe Namath.
Joe Namath? What the hell you talkin' about? Oh, I used to play wideout with my brothers.
You can't be serious.
[ELLEN.]
You got any better ideas? This is insane.
He's gonna throw it to her? It's risky, I know, but we've got 20 minutes left, sir.
If we don't do something, we're gonna lose 24 and maybe Ed too.
This cannot be our best option.
I'm not gonna stand here and let you This is my call.
I'm in command here.
So you can either stay out of my way, or you can fuck right off.
Those are your options.
CAPCOM, let's go.
Yes, ma'am.
[GORDO.]
Okay, Ed.
We are go for EVA.
[BALDWIN.]
Roger that, Houston.
180-degree yaw maneuver completed.
Moving to open hatch.
Copy.
You have 19 minutes until you're outside the window.
[BREATHING HEAVILY.]
Proceeding to remove the tank from the QD.
Okay.
We got one shot at this.
I'm gonna try to judge the throw so it hits you right in the numbers when you crest the top of the ship's rotation.
- Copy? - Copy.
Okay, this might not weigh anything right now, but this sucker's got a lot of mass.
So make sure you latch that tether on tight.
[GORDO.]
Okay, Ed, coming up on 15 minutes left in the window.
And Ellen's gonna need at least ten minutes to hook up to the fill-drain valves and refuel Osprey.
So now or never.
It's too high! It went high.
I missed.
[DEKE.]
Ellen, don't! [GRUNTS.]
[GRUNTS.]
[PANTING.]
I got it.
I got it! [LAUGHS.]
[BALDWIN.]
Houston we have capture.
- [ALL CHEERING.]
- Oh! [APPLAUDING.]
[CHEERING.]
[INAUDIBLE.]
Ahh.
[MAN.]
Whoo! [INDISTINCT.]
[WOMAN.]
Congratulations.
[MAN LAUGHS.]
[KAREN CHUCKLES.]
[INDISTINCT.]
You see that, Deke? [SIGHS, BREATHES HEAVILY.]
[APPLAUSE QUIETS.]
[CHATTERING, LAUGHING.]
Marge.
I regret to inform you that we, we we lost Deke.
[MARGE WHIMPERS.]
Mm-mmm.
Mm.
Marge, come here.
[SOBBING.]
I know.
I know, I know.
[CRYING.]
[CRYING.]
[SIGHS.]
Listen, you should probably get some rest.
In the next few days, when you've got settled, we'll start divvying up all the "Next few days"? Ed, you're you're going back home on Osprey.
No, you can't expect to hold to the mission now.
[EXHALES.]
You'd be alone.
You were.
Yeah, well, that's I can't.
No.
I can't leave the base.
Not after everything that's There'll be another relief mission in a few weeks.
We'll both go back with that one.
With all due respect, sir we came here to send you back home, and that's what I'm going to do.
I'm not gonna abandon the base.
This is not a discussion.
I relieve you as commander of Jamestown.
I stand relieved.
We now take you to a live press conference with Commander Ellen Wilson, who has replaced Captain Edward Baldwin as the lone American on the moon.
[MAN.]
Commander Wilson, would you like to say anything about Deke Slayton? I'm sure you two were very close.
He was one of the first of us.
Started at all this before anybody, American or Russian, had even gone up into space.
He was from a different era.
Definitely a stubborn man.
When they told him he couldn't fly because of his heart, he helped others get there.
When they told him he was too old to fly, he told them to go to hell, and he put on a space suit and he made it all the way to the moon.
Commander, with the loss of Deke Slayton and Harrison Liu, space travel is seeming like a very dangerous endeavor.
With what you've been through, do you feel that it's still worth it? Worth it? I mean, it's dangerous.
Lives have been lost, and, honestly, probably more will be lost.
But every one of us knew the risks before we joined, the toll it takes on us - and on the ones we love.
- Straight to bed.
Thank you.
[ELLEN.]
But we all signed up just the same.
It's the price we pay to push forward to explore the universe and wander into the unknown.
Pushing ourselves to the limits of what's possible.
[TICKING.]
Are there sacrifices that have to be made? Of course.
But sacrifice is a part of any journey.
It's like those caravans, the wagon trains that crossed our country a hundred years ago in search of a new home.
Or the ships that sailed across the Atlantic in search of a new world.
[CHATTERING.]
Taking on these great challenges against great odds that's what makes us human.
Remember, we chose to go to the moon not because it was easy but because it was hard.
So, yes.
Yes, I think it's worth it.
Because no matter how hard it is now, when we look to the future, we can see that things can they can get better.
I do believe that.
[WOMAN.]
Mrs.
Wilson, is there anything you'd like to say to anyone back home? Um I I just wanna say I know I don't say it enough, but I miss you and I love you with all of my heart, Larry.
I'll be back home soon.
[MAN.]
Thank you, everyone.
That was the last question.
Thank you for coming.
[SIGHS.]
["EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD" PLAYING.]
[SONG FADES.]
[BALDWIN.]
Security's really high.
Look at that, there's a whole carrier task force out there.
[KAREN.]
It just doesn't seem very safe.
What if it explodes in the atmosphere? [BALDWIN.]
That's why we're launching it from the middle of nowhere, Karen.
[KAREN.]
Look, it's risky, Ed.
This isn't just another payload.
That thing's carrying plutonium.
[MAN.]
expansion of the Jamestown colony.
Ignition sequence start.
- Five, four, three, two, one.
- [ROCKET ENGINE FIRING.]
Ignition.
[SONG RESUMES.]
- [ROCKET ENGINE RUMBLING.]
[DEKE.]
Ellen? [BEEPING CONTINUES.]
Ellen? [BEEPING CONTINUES.]
[PANTING.]
Ellen? Deke? Ellen, you're alive.
Thank God.
You've been out for almost six minutes.
I'm I'm here.
You need to abort the burn.
I don't have much left in my OPS.
There's a puncture in my suit.
[GRUNTS.]
Shit.
Houston, our abort handle is non-responsive.
Houston, do you read? [DEKE.]
I've been trying.
I can't raise them.
Shit.
[PANTING.]
[BEEPING CONTINUES.]
Harry! - [ELLEN GRUNTING.]
- [DEKE GRUNTING, PANTING.]
[STRAINING.]
[DEKE GRUNTING.]
[GRUNTING.]
[ELLEN, DEKE GRUNTING.]
[BOTH PANTING.]
[AIR HISSING.]
- [GROANING.]
- [BEEPING CONTINUES.]
[SHARP GROAN.]
[GROANING CONTINUES.]
- Keep pressure on it.
- [GROANS.]
[MOANING.]
[GROANS.]
[BEEPING CONTINUES.]
[BEEPING STOPS.]
[PANTING.]
Houston, our S-IVB's fuel is depleted.
Do you copy? Houston.
Do you read, Houston? Houston, do you read? Do you read, Houston? [KENNEDY.]
Is there hope for any sort of, uh, rescue? [WEISNER.]
That is unclear at the moment, Mr.
President.
[KENNEDY.]
What happened up there, Harold? [WEISNER.]
Well, sir, it's, uh We're going over everything leading up to Apollo 24's booster ignition and it seems like the replacement computer may have mistakenly thought the ship was still in its first rather, uh, initial orbit and booted up for the [KENNEDY.]
Could this be connected to the Soviets? Sabotage, or [WEISNER.]
I I'm not saying that necessarily, sir, I [KENNEDY.]
What in the goddamn hell are you saying, Harold? - [WEISNER.]
I-It's complicated, sir.
- [KENNEDY.]
No, it isn't! You've had three goddamn accidents in as many months! What kind of chickenshit operation are you running down there? I do not need this right now.
Already got Ronnie Reagan up my ass.
Him and his whole "America was better way back when" thing What does he even remember way back when? Jim Crow? The Depression? Vietnam? It wasn't that great, let me tell you.
I don't care what you have to do.
You get those astronauts back home.
You hear me, Harold? [GRUNTS.]
[SPEAKING RUSSIAN.]
English.
I know you learn it.
You all do.
See, I know a lot about you guys.
I was in Korea.
[SIGHS.]
You cut off my oxygen.
Really? - [GROANS.]
- What were you doing in our mine, Ivan? Hmm? What were you looking for? Nothing.
What's this for then? Hmm? [CLATTERS ON FLOOR.]
What was it for, that device you left in our mine? The one you destroyed.
Yeah, you put it in our territory.
- Your territory? - Yeah.
That's funny.
Your territory, your mine.
This is the moon, mister.
Belongs to everyone.
Molly Cobb and I discovered ice there over three years ago.
Yeah, if it's about who was here first, Alexei Leonov was here before you, Edward Baldwin.
And he said moon belonged to the whole world.
I seem to remember him saying something about "the Marxist-Leninist way of life".
Look you want ice.
So do we.
There is enough ice for everyone.
Why don't you tell me what you're building over there at Zvezda? I've seen all the regolith you're kicking up.
Hmm? What are you building over there? I can't tell you.
Didn't think so.
You need to let me go.
My compatriots will be looking for me soon.
Yeah, well, see, I'm not that concerned about your compatriots 'cause I know you've got one rover, just like us.
And it's over here.
So if your compatriots wanted to come looking for you, they wouldn't get very far, now, would they, Ivan? Guess not.
Guess not.
[MOLLY.]
500 feet.
300 feet.
Apollo 25 splashdown.
Roger that, 25.
Condition of the crew? I'm good, the astro wife is smiling, and Dennis is seasick.
GUIDO, give me a situation report on Apollo 24.
Still got no communication, Flight.
No telemetry, no bio-readings.
Only able to track 'em on radar.
Jesus, we don't even know if they're alive, do we? All we know is that they're headed toward deep space.
- [CLICKS.]
- [DEKE GROANS.]
[CLICKS.]
Wish we could talk to Houston, find out what the hell happened.
The long-range S-band must've been damaged during the burn.
We're way past short-range VHF.
I sure am glad they upgraded these goddamn comm systems last year.
Guarantee you, we were still using the old output buffer, none of this happens, and we're back on our way to Ed.
Maybe so, but you need to calm down.
It's not good for you to get so worked up.
And I need you focused if we're gonna pull this off.
Pull what off? With that overburn, we're miles off course and going way too fast to enter lunar orbit.
You think you're up for another burn? You saw.
I mean, Harry.
He got dragged into the plume.
Swallowed him whole.
We'll have to ditch the cargo.
Gonna need just about all the fuel we've got left to get our velocity down to 35,650 feet per second.
The margin's gonna be Well there won't be a margin.
Well, it's either that or we're on our way to Jupiter and Ed stays stranded.
So what are we waiting for? You want me on the computer or the sextant? Let's dump the dead weight first.
Be my pleasure to get rid of that fucking thing.
[ELLEN.]
SMRCS-iso valves are all gray.
CSM separating.
[DEKE.]
Sayonara.
[WALTERS ON TV.]
prolonged communication failure, likely caused by physical damage to the command-service module's antennae.
[PHONE RINGS.]
His hope is that whatever event damaged the antennae did not also damage the fuel tanks or guidance systems.
[CATA.]
Aleida! [WALTERS.]
ended on an optimistic note, saying that astronauts are "a different breed.
They train together tirelessly" - ¿Papá? - [OCTAVIO.]
Aleida, are you okay? Yeah, I'm fine.
Where are you? My hearing was this morning.
They say they're gonna send me back to Mexico.
What do you mean? They can't.
I'm sorry, Aleida, I I should have been more careful.
But don't worry, I talked to Cata, and she said you can still stay there and keep going to school.
I will send her money.
I don't wanna stay with her.
When will you be back? I don't know, mija.
They say if they catch me again, they can send me to prison.
But you don't worry, mija, hey.
Everything is going to be okay.
I promise you.
Te quiero, mija.
Te quiero, papá.
And now, we bring you live to the press conference at Houston's Johnson Space Center, where head of the astronaut office, Buzz Aldrin, and administrator Harold Weisner are discussing the crisis in space.
[BUZZ.]
Astronaut Liu is survived by his wife, Cecilia, and their two daughters.
He was a good man.
And a good father.
- [MALE REPORTER.]
Gentlemen, hey, hey! - [BUZZ.]
Front row.
[MAN.]
Mr.
Aldrin, what about the status of Commander Wilson and Deke Slayton? What we know right now is that an unexpected firing of Apollo 24's stage-IVB engine performed the translunar injection burn earlier than planned.
[MAN.]
Gentlemen, gentlemen! [MAN 2.]
Mr.
Weisner, Mr.
Weisner! Sources are saying there's been talk of possible Soviet sabotage in the Okay, no, no, no, no.
Those are unfounded rumors.
Then what caused the engine to fire? We're looking into that.
- Are they headed for the moon? - [SLURPS.]
We cannot comment on that at this time.
[ALL SHOUTING.]
Attitude looking good.
Trajectory converging.
[ELLEN.]
Helium pressure holding.
Okay.
Good on trajectory, now let's put on the brakes.
- Configuring DAP for braking burn.
- [BEEPS.]
- [ROCKET ENGINE RUMBLING.]
- We're a long way from 35,650.
Still over 36,000 feet per second.
We're not gonna have enough gas in the SPS to make it.
Goddamn it.
We need to use the RCS.
Switching to manual.
We burn through that, we won't be able to control the vehicle.
- We'll be dead in the water.
- It's better than missing the moon.
All right, firing all four RCS thrusters plus-X.
[THRUSTERS FIRING.]
- [BEEPING.]
- Five seconds.
- [THRUSTERS FIRING.]
- Come on.
Come on.
- [WHOOSHING STOPS.]
- Shit.
RCS depleted.
SPS at three, two, one.
[RUMBLING.]
- [RUMBLING QUIETS.]
- We didn't make it.
By 30 fucking feet.
- [APPLAUDING.]
- [WEISNER.]
Yes, and thank you, sir.
Yeah, it certainly is a Christmas miracle.
[CHUCKLES.]
We're all very happy over here.
[INDISTINCT.]
- What's happening? - They're alive.
They've corrected their trajectory towards the moon.
[SIGHS.]
Okay, I will keep you updated as the situation progresses.
All right.
Thanks again.
[PHONE SETTLES IN CRADLE.]
[BANGS DESK.]
[CHATTERING.]
To enter orbit, you not only have to be going exactly the right direction, you have to be moving at exactly the right speed.
If you're even one mile per hour over, lunar gravity won't hold onto the craft.
It's like a marble going past a drain.
It's going too fast, it'll just shoot right by.
Okay, so they just need to slow themselves down, right? By our calculations, they've used all their fuel just to get to this point.
Oh.
Well, then, I guess I'll just call the president back in the middle of his Christmas dinner and let him know that, once again, our good news has turned into shit.
[MARGO.]
I might hold off on that call, sir.
Why? Is there some way to slow them down? No.
But there may be something Ed Baldwin can do.
[WRITING ON BLACKBOARD.]
[SIGHS.]
I've been sending a message every 30 minutes for the last three days, sir.
He's just refusing to answer.
Well, then send one every ten.
Understood? There's got to be another way to reach him.
[TYPING.]
[WHIRRING.]
- [WHIRRING STOPS.]
- [BEEPS.]
Can I have some water, please? Sure.
Soon as you tell me what you're building over there at Zvezda.
[SIGHS.]
Edward, what is your plan? My what? Your plan.
What is your strategy? You didn't tell Houston about me.
Why? I'm commander of this base.
It's within my discretion to withhold information when I deem necessary.
You haven't communicated with them in days before I came here.
- So, you're monitoring my communications? - Of course.
Same way you are monitoring ours.
I've been away from my station for, what, 37 hours? My oxygen would have depleted by now.
My crew thinks I'm dead.
They will call my wife, tell her I'm dead.
She will tell my daughter I'm dead.
This part of your plan? I know you hear me.
You're a father too.
Look, I know it's not the same, but when my Sveta was born, she was sick.
She was very ill.
Seven days she was in hospital.
Poked with needles and put into machines over and over and over again.
Such a tiny body.
So helpless.
And you are helpless.
She's ten now.
Still goes to hospital every month.
Now, they will tell her her father is dead.
Yeah, well, that's a really touching story, Ivan.
So you have a sick kid, and now you and me can become pals.
That's really good.
KGB cook up that whole story, or did you sprinkle in some details of your own? I would never lie about my family.
Well, I wouldn't fault you.
You gotta follow orders, right? Is that what you do? Follow orders? I don't think so.
Edward Baldwin doesn't follow orders.
No, he's a real American cowboy, right? White hat and loyal horse.
Good guy.
I'd stop talking if I were you, Ivan.
My name is Mikhail.
Mikhail Mikhailovich Vasiliev.
And I ask you again what is your plan? Or maybe you don't have a plan.
Maybe you charge into this without thinking it through.
Okay.
Let's see what your options are.
If you let me go back to Zvezda, I will have to say where I was.
That's not very good for United States.
But you also cannot keep me here, right? You have that resupply mission en route.
What will they think if they see cosmonaut tied to a chair? No, that's not There is one way out of this.
Poor cosmonaut died on the surface all by himself.
Who knows what happened? Maybe tore his suit on rover.
Maybe fell into crater.
Discovered by great American hero.
But it was too late.
What a tragedy.
Maybe you already thought about this? I'm not gonna kill you, Ivan.
Of course not.
You are America.
And America is good.
America is kind.
America saves the world from evil Soviet empire.
- Shut up.
- But you know what, Edward? I've seen real America.
Oh, yes.
I have seen bodies of babies and women and children ripped apart by good American bombs.
- Shut up.
- In Cambodia, Dresden.
- I said shut up.
- Hiroshima.
- I said shut up! - Korea.
- [BALDWIN GRUNTS.]
- [MIKHAIL GROANS.]
This is you.
- This is America! - I said shut up! [GROANING.]
Goddamn it! [MIKHAIL.]
Ohh! [EXHALES.]
[MIKHAIL EXHALES.]
Shit.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Oh, I'm I'm sorry.
I God, Aleida, I'm I heard about your father.
Is he okay? Have you heard from him? What did he say? Is there gonna be a hearing or They're sending him back to Mexico.
It's, uh It's gonna be okay.
Your father is a smart man.
He'll figure something out.
He talked to the woman we live with.
Said I could stay there, keep going to school.
Okay.
Good.
I think that's good.
I don't wanna live with her.
Well it's only temporary.
I'm sure you'll figure something else out at some point.
Maybe Maybe I could stay with you.
Um, I don't know.
I I promise I won't be a bother.
You won't even notice I'm there.
Aleida, it My father, he trusts you.
He says I should listen to you.
Please.
I'm sorry.
I just It's a lot to ask, Aleida.
My life's not Well, this job, it's all-consuming.
You have to understand, I can't just I know.
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have asked.
Well, we can still do our sessions, but I Uh [WOMAN SHOUTING IN DISTANCE.]
Cata? Gabriel? Livi? [PHONE RINGS.]
[RINGS.]
- Hello? - Aleida, where were you? I've been calling all day.
The apartment They're all gone.
Gone? What do you mean, gone? I think the police were here.
Aleida.
[IN SPANISH.]
Listen to me.
Grab everything you can take with you and get out of there.
- Never go back.
[IN SPANISH.]
You'll have to come to Mexico.
I'm going to figure out a way to send you money so you can buy a bus ticket.
What? Aleida, this better not be about that boy.
It's not.
I talked to Ms.
Madison.
She She said I could stay with her.
What, she said that? Yes.
¿Papá? [IN SPANISH.]
I'm sorry.
That's great news! It's just that the idea of being separated from you I'll be fine.
I know.
Please be careful.
And don't bother Ms.
Madison too much.
She's a very good person.
- I will call you when I make it to Parras.
- [SHOUTING, INDISTINCT.]
- [MAN.]
Check upstairs! I love you, Aleida.
Love you too.
[VOICES CONTINUE.]
[DEKE.]
You know, it's not the worst way to go.
Which? [CHUCKLES.]
Because right now we can pick from suffocation, starvation Cannibalism.
[LAUGHS.]
Or we could just open the hatch.
I don't know.
I kinda wanna see how far we'll get.
[CHUCKLES.]
Go farther in the universe than anyone's ever gone.
That's something, at least.
I've alway [EXHALES.]
[PANTS.]
[GROANS.]
The staples are holding.
Looks like there's internal bleeding.
[DEKE GROANS.]
Shit.
Looks like you might get farther in the universe than me.
That's not funny, Deke.
It makes sense.
I always knew you had a bit of John Glenn in you.
I mean, yeah, you were quiet, a little hard on yourself, but when you walk into a room, people pay attention.
When you speak people listen.
A lot of good that'll do me now.
[CHUCKLES.]
Oh.
You know those letters we're supposed to write before we you know? The "in case of my death" letter.
I was so distracted by mission prep, Ed Suddenly it's launch day, and I got 'bout two and a half minutes to think of something to write to Marge.
[SIGHS.]
I'm sure she'll understand.
She deserved better.
You know, for three months, I lived on tomato soup.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
So I could save up enough for a ring.
[LAUGHS.]
Almost 20 years later, and I can't believe that woman said yes.
How about you? How'd Larry propose? Uh It was very really nice, actually.
Uh, he took me to Memorial Park.
I thought we were just going for a picnic and then I turned around and there Larry was down on one knee.
And he You okay? Yeah.
I just don't know what I'm doing.
[CHUCKLES.]
I mean, here we are, headed to God-knows-where, and, uh I'm still It's just, Larry, he [SIGHS.]
Our marriage, it I knew if I wanted to be an astronaut I couldn't let people see certain parts of myself.
Been that way my whole life.
What are you talking about? I'm in love with someone.
But it's not Larry.
Her name is Pam.
Pam.
The bartender? - No.
- Yeah.
[LAUGHS.]
Are you saying Jesus.
You gotta be kidding me.
[SCOFFS.]
I mean, that's [CHUCKLES.]
[SIGHS.]
Uh I guess I shouldn't have said anything.
I'm sorry I brought it up.
So am I.
[DEKE SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
[EXHALES.]
[SNAPS.]
[SNAPS.]
[SNAPS.]
- [MIKHAIL SINGING IN RUSSIAN.]
- [ELECTRICITY PULSING.]
[MIKHAIL SINGING CONTINUES.]
[SINGING CONTINUES.]
[SWITCH CLICKING.]
You do something? I am not Houdini.
[SINGING IN RUSSIAN.]
[SINGING CONTINUES.]
Will you stop singing, please? You prefer Elvis? I prefer silence.
When I was young, we were not allowed to listen to Elvis.
Yeah.
He was banned in the USSR.
Danger of moral corruption to Soviet youth.
But for one ruble, bootleggers would copy song onto X-ray film and play it on record player.
- [SWITCH CLICKING.]
- [BEEPS.]
[MIKHAIL SINGING "ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?".]
[CONTINUES.]
Oh, he's fantastic.
[VOCALIZING.]
You like him? My wife, she wanted the first dance at our wedding to be "Love Me Tender".
I wanted Sinatra.
Oh.
What did you play? "Love Me Tender".
[LAUGHS.]
Is she, your wife She formidable? That's definitely one way to put it.
- We went to go see him last year.
- No.
I don't know.
It was kinda sad.
- Why? - He was like a clown up there.
The hair, costumes, big fat belly That's not Elvis.
Ahh.
[CLICKS TONGUE.]
You Americans, you throw away so quickly.
Everything needs to be new.
New car, new dishwasher, new Elvis Presley.
Sorry, mister, Elvis will always be king.
Yeah.
But Ol' Blue Eyes on the other hand - he just gets better with time.
- Oh.
- What? - Huh? The light, it's a pattern.
Look.
Three short three long.
- Three short.
- SOS.
Shit.
- [SWITCH CLICKS.]
- [WHIRRING.]
Houston, this is Jamestown.
Ed, thank God.
You okay? I'm fine.
I got your message.
Nice touch with the lights.
Hell you been doing up there, buddy? Just needed a little alone time.
[DANIELLE.]
Well, we sure are glad you came up for air.
We got some new problems here.
[SCOTT ON TV.]
for translunar injection, or TLI, stating that if the engine fired too early, it could significantly alter Apollo 24's trajectory, and fuel needed to correct course is very limited in the Apollo spacecraft.
Furthermore, he addressed NASA's cryptic press conference, saying he suspected this was due to a prolonged communication failure likely caused by physical damage to the command-service module's antennas.
His hope is that whatever event damaged the antennas did not also damage the fuel tanks or guidance systems.
Today, as families across America celebrate the Christmas holiday, a NASA spokesman confirmed that there has still been no contact - with Commander Ellen Wilson - [MAN.]
Excuse me.
- and Deke Slayton.
- Sweetie.
- [SCOTT.]
No further information was given.
- Hey, Pam, can I get a beer? - All right.
- [PHONE RINGS.]
Still, the prayers of the nation are with these brave astronauts Hello? [LARRY.]
She's alive.
Thank God.
They're not saying anything on the news, and I was starting to think that Anyway, thank you, Larry.
We're trying to figure out a rescue.
Nobody knows about this outside of NASA, but I thought you should know.
What, is she okay? Where is she? Is she in I can't talk about that right now.
I'm already taking a big risk even telling you this.
I appreciate that, but I'm in the dark here, Larry, with everybody else.
I know, and I'm sorry.
But that's how it has to be right now.
With security so high and this media blackout [SIGHS.]
we just have to be careful.
You have every right to know, but - But you don't wanna take the risk.
- That's not what I said.
Listen, we're doing everything we can.
Okay? I promise I'll do my best to keep you informed.
I have to go right now.
[RONALD REAGAN.]
America's space program has become dangerously inept under President Kennedy's leadership.
They say it's just a run of bad luck.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, friends, that dog won't hunt.
[SCOTT.]
That was Governor Reagan of California continuing to criticize the Kennedy administration in the run-up to the inaugural Conservative Political Action Conference.
The Kennedy administration and representatives at NASA have not responded other than to call for unity in this time of national emergency.
Excuse me.
Are you Pam? One and only.
[CHUCKLES.]
I'm sorry, I just I've heard a lot about you.
My husband comes here a lot.
Well, a lot of husbands come here a lot.
What can I get you? Um, surprise me.
[WOMEN SHOUTING ON TV.]
[CHUCKLES.]
The way he talks about this place, like it's hallowed ground or something.
I mean, it's It's a shithole.
[CHUCKLES.]
Yes.
It is.
[WOMEN ON TV SHOUTING, CONTINUES.]
I would never have dared step foot in here before.
No.
It was always, you know, understood, one of the unspoken rules, that wives don't go to the Outpost.
Sure have a lot of rules, don't they? Hmm.
Yes, they do.
And you know what? They're all Excuse my language, they're Actually, no.
Don't excuse my language.
They're bullshit.
All of them.
They way we're supposed to dress and speak and think, it I mean Forgive me, but from the outside looking in, you have it pretty good.
You're married to an astronaut.
The whole country worships you.
Sitting there in your big, beautiful living rooms.
Listening to your husbands in space on your squawk boxes.
So, if you're looking for someone to feel sorry for you, just don't look here.
There are a lot of people out there who don't have I'm sorry.
With everything going on the past couple days, I [CLEARS THROAT.]
It's okay.
Did you know any of the astronauts in the accident? I knew them all.
Some better than others.
You know Ellen? Wilson? Yeah.
We've become good friends over the past couple of years.
- Since she was in training.
- Mm-hmm.
And then something happens and you're just another person watching it on the news.
What about you? You know anyone up there? Yes.
My husband.
He's at Jamestown.
- You're Karen Baldwin? - I am.
- My God, I'm so sorry - No, don't.
Don't.
I didn't come here looking for pity.
Hey.
You should come with me.
Come with you where? To JSC.
They have a private viewing room for families where we can watch the missions during a media blackout.
I don't think that's a very good idea.
Well, it's better than watching it on the news, right? Well, is it even allowed? [CHUCKLES.]
You mean, is it against the rules? [MARGO.]
We've got a 33-minute window during which Apollo 24 will be within lunar orbit range.
Ed, you'll launch the LSAM up from the lunar surface at exactly eight hours, 50 minutes from now.
That will put you right alongside them at the exact moment they enter the window.
You'll dock the two craft and use the LSAM's engine to slow 24 into lunar orbit.
Copy that.
If this doesn't happen within the window, Ellen and Deke will just keep drifting off into deep space.
And if Ed is still alongside them at that point, he won't have enough fuel to get back either.
Flight, we might have another problem.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
What is it, Gordo? The distance you're asking Ed to fly.
You're really pushing the range of the LSAM.
Gordo's right.
He'd barely have enough fuel to get up and back, let alone pulling twice his weight with 24.
What about Apollo 15? The descent stage has fuel left in it after we touched down.
It's just been sitting there for three years.
Just take the rover out there and go get it.
That could work, Flight.
But the LEM wasn't designed to be a fuel pump.
We'll need to work up a procedure on how to get access to the fill-drain valves.
Tim [CLEARS THROAT, CHUCKLES.]
Take LMSYS and Control to the SSR, work up a procedure.
Make sure to loop in Grumman and North American.
All right.
Let's go.
We don't have a lot of time, people.
Minutes count.
Ed, we'll get you those procedures soon.
Roger that, Flight.
[CHATTERING.]
[APPLAUDING.]
[INAUDIBLE.]
[WHISTLING, CHEERING.]
- All right, get a room already.
- [LAUGHING.]
[MOLLY.]
Come on.
All right.
Okay.
Okay.
Flight, I need to talk to you for a moment.
Molly, I I had to consider the safety of two astronauts over one.
- And if the same thing happened again - Margo.
You made the right call.
I'd have done the same thing.
That's not what I wanna talk about.
Oh.
I got a pretty good look at 24 when the J-2 fired.
Think when our ship slammed into the side, it may have knocked the S-band antenna loose.
Could explain the comm issues.
But I think their short-range radio might still be working.
Thanks, Molly.
We'll have INCO look at that.
Okay.
All right, everyone.
Let's get back to work.
Okay.
Oh, one second.
You're not in uniform.
What are you talking about? An astronaut that's been up there wears gold, not silver.
Your pin? You don't No.
Hey.
You remember what you told me? One day they were gonna pin one of these to your collar.
[CHUCKLES.]
[SNIFFLES.]
[CHUCKLES.]
[LAUGHS.]
Do you have any idea of the security risk? I mean, you open yourself up to all kinds of Who knows? Blackmail, manipulation, for what? That's not fair.
"Fair"? Don't you get it? You put all of us at risk.
The whole goddamn program.
I guess I thought you would've understood.
You pushed for us when no one else did.
Because you were good pilots.
You being women was beside the point.
It's the whole point, Deke.
The world's changing.
And you helped change it.
Well, I'll take the I'll take the [GROANS.]
Ahh.
[GROANS.]
Ohh.
[WHIMPERING.]
Breathe.
[GROANS.]
Focus, people.
We've got just over five hours until LSAM launch.
Is it ready? Good to go.
Okay.
Raise Ed.
Tell him we're sending over the fuel procedure.
- [BEEPS.]
- [WHIRRING.]
You will need my help, Edward.
You don't have enough time.
And you know this.
I've got this under control.
When a ship is in distress, international law gives obligation to assist rescue.
- I said I got it under control.
- Edward, you're not in Korea anymore.
We are on the dark ocean together.
We have no choice but to trust each other.
Let me help you.
[CHATTERING.]
- Hi.
- Hey! [CHUCKLES.]
Where they at? He'll be launching soon.
- Yeah.
- All right.
Proud of you.
- Hey, Pam.
- [MOUTHS WORD.]
Come and sit.
[INDISTINCT.]
Ten minutes to launch, Ed.
[BALDWIN.]
Roger that.
Going off VOX while I button up here.
Thank you, Mikhail.
Oh, I almost forgot.
Yeah, you may need that for your drive back to Zvezda.
Edward.
Good luck.
[AIR HISSING.]
All right, Houston.
LSAM hatch closed.
Cabin pressurized.
- Master Arm on.
Running P12 ascent.
- [BEEPS.]
- How we looking, Control? - Good to go, Flight.
LMSYS? All good here.
Okay.
Initiate LSAM launch sequence.
[BALDWIN.]
Five seconds, proceed.
LSAM launch sequence initiated.
Fire engine in three, two, one.
[BALDWIN.]
Ignition.
[ROCKET ENGINE RUMBLING.]
Commencing pitch-over.
[THRUSTERS FIRING.]
[CHATTERING.]
[CHATTER ON RADIO.]
[GORDO.]
Ed, 24 will be coming at you soon.
Once they're in range, you should be able to raise them on your short-range VHF.
[BALDWIN.]
Copy that.
[DEKE SIGHS.]
[BALDWIN THROUGH RADIO.]
Apollo 24, this is Jamestown LSAM.
24, this is Jamestown LSAM.
24, Jamestown Is that you, Ed? Roger that.
Funny running into you guys up here.
[CHUCKLES.]
We're here to rescue you.
[CHUCKLES.]
It's good to hear your voice, Ellen.
How you doing, Deke? Hate to break it to you, Ed, but space has made him even more soft and cuddly than usual.
I'm sorry to hear that.
All right, let's get you two down to the deck.
We don't have much time before the window closes, so the plan is to dock you with the LSAM and then slow both of [ELLEN.]
Ed, do you have a visual on us yet? Negative.
What does he mean, "they're tumbling"? 24 burned all the RCS prop recovering from the overburn.
Even the CM thrusters.
They're bone-dry.
Can't correct the rotation.
[BALDWIN.]
I matched their speed, but I haven't been able to dock.
They're wobbly.
Too damn much for the docking probe to latch on.
[MARGO.]
Goddamn it.
How much time do we have left in the window, GUIDO? Twenty-four minutes, Flight.
You really shouldn't be here.
She invited me.
Don't worry.
I didn't say anything that What do you think people are going to think? I don't care what they think.
- You can't stay.
It's no - No.
Ellen? [GRUNTS.]
Ellen? - You okay? - [LATCH CLICKS.]
About before Deke, you don't have to.
No, I do.
It's important.
Like I said [BREATHING HEAVILY.]
you got great things ahead.
[INHALES, EXHALES.]
If we make it through this don't tell anyone else what you told me.
You hear me? What you told me keep it to yourself.
There's too many people in the world like me.
And it's all they'll see.
[BALDWIN.]
24, come in.
- [SWITCH CLICKS.]
- This is 24.
So, Houston's still working on a fix for the docking situation.
They got the sims running nonstop, so they should be coming up with a procedure shortly.
So stand by.
He's not gonna be able to dock.
There's no way.
Not in time.
What if he doesn't need to dock? I may have an idea.
[BALDWIN.]
I'm all ears.
Gene Cernan once told me that in space, even a girl can toss a football like Joe Namath.
Joe Namath? What the hell you talkin' about? Oh, I used to play wideout with my brothers.
You can't be serious.
[ELLEN.]
You got any better ideas? This is insane.
He's gonna throw it to her? It's risky, I know, but we've got 20 minutes left, sir.
If we don't do something, we're gonna lose 24 and maybe Ed too.
This cannot be our best option.
I'm not gonna stand here and let you This is my call.
I'm in command here.
So you can either stay out of my way, or you can fuck right off.
Those are your options.
CAPCOM, let's go.
Yes, ma'am.
[GORDO.]
Okay, Ed.
We are go for EVA.
[BALDWIN.]
Roger that, Houston.
180-degree yaw maneuver completed.
Moving to open hatch.
Copy.
You have 19 minutes until you're outside the window.
[BREATHING HEAVILY.]
Proceeding to remove the tank from the QD.
Okay.
We got one shot at this.
I'm gonna try to judge the throw so it hits you right in the numbers when you crest the top of the ship's rotation.
- Copy? - Copy.
Okay, this might not weigh anything right now, but this sucker's got a lot of mass.
So make sure you latch that tether on tight.
[GORDO.]
Okay, Ed, coming up on 15 minutes left in the window.
And Ellen's gonna need at least ten minutes to hook up to the fill-drain valves and refuel Osprey.
So now or never.
It's too high! It went high.
I missed.
[DEKE.]
Ellen, don't! [GRUNTS.]
[GRUNTS.]
[PANTING.]
I got it.
I got it! [LAUGHS.]
[BALDWIN.]
Houston we have capture.
- [ALL CHEERING.]
- Oh! [APPLAUDING.]
[CHEERING.]
[INAUDIBLE.]
Ahh.
[MAN.]
Whoo! [INDISTINCT.]
[WOMAN.]
Congratulations.
[MAN LAUGHS.]
[KAREN CHUCKLES.]
[INDISTINCT.]
You see that, Deke? [SIGHS, BREATHES HEAVILY.]
[APPLAUSE QUIETS.]
[CHATTERING, LAUGHING.]
Marge.
I regret to inform you that we, we we lost Deke.
[MARGE WHIMPERS.]
Mm-mmm.
Mm.
Marge, come here.
[SOBBING.]
I know.
I know, I know.
[CRYING.]
[CRYING.]
[SIGHS.]
Listen, you should probably get some rest.
In the next few days, when you've got settled, we'll start divvying up all the "Next few days"? Ed, you're you're going back home on Osprey.
No, you can't expect to hold to the mission now.
[EXHALES.]
You'd be alone.
You were.
Yeah, well, that's I can't.
No.
I can't leave the base.
Not after everything that's There'll be another relief mission in a few weeks.
We'll both go back with that one.
With all due respect, sir we came here to send you back home, and that's what I'm going to do.
I'm not gonna abandon the base.
This is not a discussion.
I relieve you as commander of Jamestown.
I stand relieved.
We now take you to a live press conference with Commander Ellen Wilson, who has replaced Captain Edward Baldwin as the lone American on the moon.
[MAN.]
Commander Wilson, would you like to say anything about Deke Slayton? I'm sure you two were very close.
He was one of the first of us.
Started at all this before anybody, American or Russian, had even gone up into space.
He was from a different era.
Definitely a stubborn man.
When they told him he couldn't fly because of his heart, he helped others get there.
When they told him he was too old to fly, he told them to go to hell, and he put on a space suit and he made it all the way to the moon.
Commander, with the loss of Deke Slayton and Harrison Liu, space travel is seeming like a very dangerous endeavor.
With what you've been through, do you feel that it's still worth it? Worth it? I mean, it's dangerous.
Lives have been lost, and, honestly, probably more will be lost.
But every one of us knew the risks before we joined, the toll it takes on us - and on the ones we love.
- Straight to bed.
Thank you.
[ELLEN.]
But we all signed up just the same.
It's the price we pay to push forward to explore the universe and wander into the unknown.
Pushing ourselves to the limits of what's possible.
[TICKING.]
Are there sacrifices that have to be made? Of course.
But sacrifice is a part of any journey.
It's like those caravans, the wagon trains that crossed our country a hundred years ago in search of a new home.
Or the ships that sailed across the Atlantic in search of a new world.
[CHATTERING.]
Taking on these great challenges against great odds that's what makes us human.
Remember, we chose to go to the moon not because it was easy but because it was hard.
So, yes.
Yes, I think it's worth it.
Because no matter how hard it is now, when we look to the future, we can see that things can they can get better.
I do believe that.
[WOMAN.]
Mrs.
Wilson, is there anything you'd like to say to anyone back home? Um I I just wanna say I know I don't say it enough, but I miss you and I love you with all of my heart, Larry.
I'll be back home soon.
[MAN.]
Thank you, everyone.
That was the last question.
Thank you for coming.
[SIGHS.]
["EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD" PLAYING.]
[SONG FADES.]
[BALDWIN.]
Security's really high.
Look at that, there's a whole carrier task force out there.
[KAREN.]
It just doesn't seem very safe.
What if it explodes in the atmosphere? [BALDWIN.]
That's why we're launching it from the middle of nowhere, Karen.
[KAREN.]
Look, it's risky, Ed.
This isn't just another payload.
That thing's carrying plutonium.
[MAN.]
expansion of the Jamestown colony.
Ignition sequence start.
- Five, four, three, two, one.
- [ROCKET ENGINE FIRING.]
Ignition.
[SONG RESUMES.]