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Fourteen.. Fifteen..

Sixteen. Prime.

Eighteen. Prime.

Twenty.

Twenty-one.

Twenty-two.

West Virginia Collegiate Institute is the best school for Negros in the state.

It's the only school, past the eighth grade, anywhere near here.

Isosceles. Scalene

Equilateral

Rhombus

Trapezoid

Katherine's in the sixth grade.

They want to take her early.

Tetrahedron,

Dodecahedron

They're offering a full scholarship.

All you have to do is get there.

Ms. Coleman.

Why don't you solve the equation on the board?

We took up a collection amongst the teachers and such,

It's not a lot.

But it's enough to help get you settle down

That's more than kind, Ms. Sumner.

If the product of two terms is zero,

then common sense says at least one of the two terms

has to be zero to start with

So, if you move all the terms over to one side,

you'd put the quadratics into a form that can be factored,

Allowing that side of the equation to equal zero.

Once you've done that, it's pretty straight forward from there

In all my years of teaching,

I've never seen a mind like the one your daughter has.

- Katherine! - Hurry on now, love

You have to go.

Let Mommy take you in.

You have to see what she becomes.

Ok, try to turn it over, now!

Katherine?

Mary!

Somebody!

Katherine! Quit staring off into space and turn the damn car over

I got it.

I'm not deaf

I wonder some times.

Here it goes.

Yeah, it's the starter.

That is definitely the starter.

The starter's startin' to make us late.

We all go end up unemployed driving around in this pile of junk to work everyday.

You're welcome to walk the 16 miles.

Or sit on the back of the bus.

I won't do neither.

I'll hitchhike.

Girls,

No crime in a broken down car.

No crime being Negro neither.

Button it up, Mary! Nobody wants to go to jail behind your mouth.

I'll do my best, sugar.

Not a great place for the three of ya'll to be havin' car trouble.

We didn't pick the place, Officer. It picked us.

You bein' disrespectful?

No, sir.

- You have identification on ya? - Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

We're just on our way to work.

At Langley.

NASA, sir.

We do a great deal of the calculating

Getting our rockets into space.

- All three? - Yes, sir.

Yes, officer.

NASA, that's somethin'

I had no idea they hired...

There're quite a few women,

working in the Space Program.

Damn Russians are watching us right now.

Sputniks.

You girls ever meet those Astronauts?

The Mercury 7?

Absolutely

Yes, sir. We work with those gentlemen all the time.

Those boys are the best we got.

- I'm sure of that - Yeah

We gotta get a man up there before the Commies do.

- Yes! - Absolutely.

Whole damn country's counting on em.

That's for certain

Hard to be of service broken down on the side of the road, though.

Right! Right!

Well, you need a tow or somethin'?

No, thank you, Officer. I think I got it, Just give me that..

Just need to

bypass the starter

She is good at this stuff

That a girl

We're all set.

Hell. Least I can do is give ya an escort.

Imagine ya'll are running late to work.

Oh, no sir! We wouldn't want to bother you.

That would be wonderful, Officer.

Thank you so much, sir.

- Follow me! - I'm driving!

Hurry up, Dorothy! Before he changes his mind!

- We're coming! - Hold your horses!

Yes!

- Mary! Slow down! You're so close! - Well, be quiet. He said to follow him!

He didn't mean you hit him behind!

Dear Lord.. I don't even know where to begin!

Oh! I'll tell you where to begin!

Three negro women are chasing a white police officer

down the highway in Hampton, Virginia

1961.

Ladies, that there is a God ordained miracle!

Starting tomorrow, I'm riding the bus

Show me

No, exactly

Ascent angle: 46.56.

Approaching 7400 mph

118 seconds.

Second stage. Success.

Korabl-Sputnik-4 is orbital.

Orbital entry is established.

Russian orbital entry is established.

Jim Webb.

Yes, Mr. President

We certainly are, sir.

It looks like they've achieved at least one orbit, maybe two

Zvezdochka is ready to go again. So is our comrade, Ivan.

A brave space traveler.

We have proven life can be sustained in space.

Now, we will be first to send a human

A damn dog!

And a damn mannequin!

And then a 1.6 megaton RDS-37 thermonuclear warhead

drops down in the middle of Des Moines.

Well, that's a pretty big jump, sir.

What?

- Just there's that.. - Who the hell is he?

Paul Stafford. Our Lead Engineer, Mr. Webb.

I think what he meant to say is that speculation, at least

on our side of the equation by definition, can be..

Just a little dangerous.

Dangerous?

You know what's dangerous, Mr. Stafford?

Inaction, and indecision.

Russians have a spy satellite lapping the planet,

taking pictures of God knows what!

The President is demanding an immediate response.

No more delays. Alan Shepard, John Glenn, your uncle Bob.

Doesn't matter, just get us up there, Harrison

We can't justify a space program

that doesn't put anything in space.

How did that feel in there, Paul?

Do you think you enlightened the Administrator?

No, he didn't look enlightened to me.

- He look enlightened to you, Sam? - Not particularly.

And just so you know, he's not wrong about what he said in there.

You know that, right?

Because now that they can get up there, a bomb will follow.

That's what happens to all our good ideas.

I imagine there is too

Where's the machine?

Any day now, Mr. Harrison.

- Any day now. - Yes, sir.

What's it called?

- The initials... - The IBM.

International business machine.

Space is a business

I need a mathematician.

- I'll put in another request, sir. - Another request.

Jesus Christ! We don't have a single person, in this entire building,

that can handle Analytic Geometry?

That's what I've been told.

Well, tell me something else, Ruth. Like we're going to find such a person

before the Russians plant a flag on the damn moon.

Ladies, ladies

If you're tardy, you don't get an assignment

if you don't get an assignment you don't have a job.

Eleanor. Data Reduction, Building 202.

Data Reduction?

Well. You're welcome to join the charmers in Magneto-plasmadynamics.

Oh! No, ma'am.

Thank you, Data Reduction's just fine.

- Mary. - Present.

The Mercury 7 prototype has arrived for testing.

Mr. Zielinski's requesting you.

For permanent assignment.

- Are you serious? - Get moving.

Oh! Thank you, Jesus!

- Thank you, Jesus! Oh! Thank you. - Mary

Keep it inside

I'm sorry, Dor

All right, Mrs. Late

You'll also be..

Mrs. Mitchell.

We're on double time this mornin', girls.

I need these calculations before lunch.

The Space Task Group needs a computer, ASAP.

Someone with a handle on Analytic Geometry.

We can't fill the position outta the East Group.

Permanent or temp?

Everything's temporary, Dorothy.

- You have someone? - Oh! Yes, ma'am.

Katherine's the gal for that.

She can handle any numbers you put in front of her.

I'll check her credentials.

Didn't think of comin' all the way down here.

Here. Pinch press those out.

Mrs. Mitchell!

If I could.

My application for supervisor, ma'am.

Was just wondering if they're still considering me for that position.

Yes.

Well, the official word is: no.

They're not assignin' a permanent supervisor for the Colored Group.

May I ask why?

I don't know "why."

I didn't ask "why."

We need a Supervisor, ma'am.

We haven't had one since Ms. Jansen got sick It's been almost a year.

Things are workin' just fine as is.

I'm doing the work of a Supervisor.

Well. That's NASA, for ya.

Fast with rocket ships. Slow with advancement.

Get those trajectories calcs worked out.

We need em for the Redstone test.

Mach 1 tunnel test, T-1 minute.

No shoe is worth your life

One.. One moment!

Shut it down.

If we alter the exterior from smooth

to corrugated, the capsule might have more stability,

But the friction, it's under during reentry..

Most shield erosion occurs

on the posterior side abutting the retro-boosters.

Conclusion?

The area closest to the boosters is closest to the heat.

Coupled with rising temperatures on reentry,

the contacts soften.

We could consider another fastener other than bolts.

Yes

Yes.

There's another opening in the Engineer Training Program.

Flat head rivets would reduce wind drag.

Mary! A person with an engineer's mind should be an engineer.

You can't be a Computer the rest of your life.

Mr. Zielinski.

I'm a Negro woman.

I'm not gonna to entertain the impossible

And I'm a polish Jew whose parents died in a Nazi prison camp.

Now I'm standing beneath a space ship,

that's going to carry an astronaut to the stars.

I think we can say, we are living the impossible.

Let me ask you..

If you were a white male,

Would you wish to be an engineer?

I wouldn't have to. I'd already be one.

Skirts must be worn past the knee.

Sweaters are preferred to blouses.

No jewelry.

A simple pearl necklace is the exception.

Your supervisor is Mr. Al Harrison.

Director of the Space Task Group.

You'll write research, proof calculations, so forth.

Don't talk to Mr. Harrison lest he talks to you.

Not many Computers last more than a few days,

He's been through a dozen in as many months.

Come on, keep up

Things move fast around here

Your clearance.

They've never had a colored in here before, Katherine.

Don't embarrass me.

This wasn't emptied last night.

I'm sorry. I'm not the..

Custodian.

Excuse me, ma'am. Mr. Harrison's Computer reporting.

Take the desk in the back. I'll get your work in a..

Bit.

Mr. Harrison won't warm up to you, don't expect it.

Do your work, keep your head down.

Thank you.

Go on. Get settled.

Paul,

Why are we still losing shingles off the heat shield?

Well, We're working with a prototype of the capsule, Al.

It's little as one third the size.. - I get that. So..

What do you do with our million dollar fan, Karl?

- Turn it down? - No, I don't think...

Hey! That was a joke.

Paul, if the heat shield comes off

what d'you think happens to our astronaut?

I know.

So we're gonna..

We're gonna come up with a solve, right?

Yes, sir. We're working on it.

Ruth, what's the status on that Computer?

She's right behind you, Mr. Harrison.

Does she handle Analytic Geometry?

Absolutely. And she speaks.

Yes, sir. I do.

- Which one? - Both.

Geometry and speaking.

Ruth. Give me that.

Do you think you..

You think you can find me the Frenet frame for this data,

Using the GramSchmidt...

With Orthogonalization algorithm. Yes, sir.

I prefer it over Euclidean coordinates.

OK. Good.

Good. Then, I'm going to need it by the end of the day.

Yes.

I'm also going to ask you to check Mr. Stafford's math

as well as others on this floor from time to time.

I can.. I can handle that, Al.

I'm sure you can, Paul. I'm sure they all can.

But if that were the case,

Shingles wouldn't be flying off the heat shield now, would they?

Excuse me, could I have everyone's attention for a moment?

Thank you. Just a..

Just to be clear..

In 14 days the Mercury 7 will be here for training.

And I have no doubt in my mind that they're going to be

asking us questions about our work.

I think that's a pretty reason we're giving. We're putting a human..

On top of a missile and shooting him into space

And it's never been done before.

And because it's never been done. Everything we do

between now and then is going to matter.

It's going to matter to their wives.

To their children.

I believe it's going to matter to the whole damn country.

So this Space Task Group will be as advertised.

America's greatest engineering and scientific minds

are not gonna have a problem

with having their work checked, are they, Paul?

No, sir.

Good. So let's have an amen, damnit

Amen.

Amen.

All right!

My numbers are spot on.

I'll double check them, sir. No problem.

- I'm not gonna be able to.. - Work on what you can read.

The rest is classified. You don't have clearance.

Excuse me...

May I ask you where the ladies' room is?

Sorry, I have no idea where your bathroom is?

Yes, sir.

Ah! Yes.

- Ruth! - Yes, Mr. Harrison.

Where's that girl with the numbers?

On a... break.

We take breaks now?

My God, where have you been? Are you finished yet?

Almost. He said about the end of the day?

The end of the day around here was yesterday.

I need those done first.

He wants those done first.

- OK! - Get going.

Mr. Harrison.

Oh! Yeah, just set up, you know.

And Stafford's heat shield calcs?

It's hard to be sure, sir.

Hard to be sure.

You know what we're doing here?

Trying to put a man into space, sir.

That's right.

That's right. So you can throw that in the trash.

Excuse me?

I said you can throw it away

Here.

It's not an insult to your work. It's just..

.. Obsolete. That's how fast things are moving around here.

If I said I was sorry, I'd be saying it all day.

What I'm asking you to do.. What I'm asking everyone in that room,

all my... geniuses, is to look beyond the numbers.

To look around them.

Through them.

For answers to questions we don't even know to ask.

Math that doesn't yet exist.

Because without it, we're not going anywhere.

I mean, we're staying on the ground. We're not...

flying into space. We're not..

Circling the earth. And we're certainly not touching the moon. And in my mind..

In my mind, I'm already there.

Are you?

Yes, sir.

Good.

Because I don't need another smart girl with an adding machine.

Can I go, sir?

Go? Yeah. Go, yeah.

Yes, you can go

I'm saying this is so much. I'm not saying that.. I..

We've been waiting for hours.

Next time you take the bus.

She's in a mood.

I haven't been late one day in ten years. Haven't been out sick.

Haven't complained. My work's on time. It's done right. It's done well.

It's not fair, that's a fact.

What's not fair is having the responsibility of the Supervisor,

but not the title or the pay.

Watching you two move on.

Now don't get me wrong.

Any upward movement is movement for us all

It just isn't movement for me.

Truth be told, Dorothy, I don't really know if I can keep up in that room.

I'll be back with the Computers in a week,

or out of a job entirely.

Oh, please! You're better with the numbers than anyone in the cabin and you know it.

Make that pencil move as fast as your mind does, you'll be fine.

And you. Have some respect! Get your damn feet off my dash board.

This isn't your living room.

I sound like a supervisor, don't I?

A mean, ole salty one.

Riddled with authority. No question.

You don't mess with, Mrs. Vaughan.

Turn that music up

- Goodnight, Katherine! - Bye, Kath!

Goodnight, ladies! See you in the morning.

- Hey baby - Hello, mamma.

I was fixing to call the National Guard.

Sorry, Momma.

New assignment.

Space Task Group.

Oh my word, that sounds important

It's a promotion?

Might be a slight promotion.

But you want the job, right?

I think so.

It's a challenge. But..

Well, it's nothing you can't handle, Katherine.

Thank you, mamma.

- Are they asleep yet? - They're pretending to be.

They're not pretending well enough

Thank you, mamma. Love you.

This is my bed!

What are you doing?

It's not fair how Joylette gets to sleep by herself cause she's the oldest.

Yes it is fair

Constance, Kathy, sit.

Now, I understand you want to be grown. And have your own space

So whoever sleeps in that bed,

in Joylette's place,

will also do the dishes,

take out the trash, and do all of Joylette's chores

That's okay. Never mind.

She's not so terrible to share with.

OK.

Then don't let me come home and find you like this again, you hear me?

You're supposed to been asleep, a long time ago.

We just wanted to say goodnight.

You've been gone for 300 hours.

I work a full-time job now. You all know that.

I have to be mommy and daddy.

I miss your father just as much as anyone

He's with his angels.

Yes. He's with all his angels.

And he's watching over us.

Every minute. OK?

That's why we have to be strong. All right?

- Yes, Mamma. - Yeah get some rest, OK?

- Mamma? - Yes, baby.

Are the Russians fixing to attack us?

Where'd you get that from?

We had to hide under our desks today. All scrunched up.

OK, baby. That's called a drill.

It means ..

You practice safety, just in case something happens.

Truth is, we don't know what they're doing up there.

- You're going up to space too? - No, baby. But..

I'm going to do what I can help those brave men get there. Yes, I'm.

You could fly up to space if you wanted to, Mamma. You can be an astronaut.

- Did you draw this? - Yes, mamma.

Is that me?

You see this?

Oh, my goodness, I love you, baby.

- Me too - I know, I know. Come here.

All right! Now this time really go to bed.

I love you all. Goodnight.

Goodnight. I love my picture, baby.

- Praise God! - Praise God!

- Hallelujah! - Hallelujah!

Praise God that change is coming.

From the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,

to the good Reverend Dr. King,

Hallelujah!

To the students sitting in

at lunch counters in North Carolina.

His faith in us has no limits

The good Lord..

Has our very own women..

Workin' on rocket ships!

And we have National Guardsmen

defending our freedom

Give a shout of praise for Colonel Jim Johnson.

Returning home by the grace of God,

to set up a National Guard unit

right here in Hampton.

- Can I get a "Hallelujah" in here?! - Hallelujah!

I just don't understand.. I just.. I don't..

I don't understand.

I don't want to talk about this again, OK?

A female engineer?

A female engineer.

We're Negro, baby. Ain't no such thing. Understand it.

It's not like that there, Levi.

You can't "apply" for freedom. Freedom is never granted to the oppressed.

It's got to be demanded. Taken.

Stop quoting your slogans at me.

There's more than one way to achieve something.

I don't want any greens.

I tell you about interrupting?

Here, try this, baby.

You gonna eat them greens too.

Kids need to eat their vegetables.

You'd know that if you was at home.

You better settle down, Levi Jackson.

Lest you want this female's mind right here, in front of everybody.

All I'm saying

Don't play the fool.

I don't want to see you get hurt.

NASA's never ever given you gals your due,

having a couple of extra degrees ain't gonna change that.

Civil rights ain't always civil.

I don't want any greens either.

No lip, little miss. Your brother gets them, and so do you.

I hear he's planning on staying in the area.

Well. That's good for him.

Katherine, go find your way over there.

That Colonel Jim is a tall glass of water

That he is. Tall. Strong. Commanding.

- And I bet he's like that day and night. - Mary

It's Sunday Please, have some shame.

I will not.

- Mm. I think he's smiling over here. - At you

- I'm not smiling back. - You're all teeth right now.

I am not

- He's coming over - Now, why would he be doing that?

- Because Mary's waving at him - No! Ladies, I'm not..

Too late. Fix your hair on the side.

I'm Dorothy Vaughan. That's Mary Jackson. I believe you met her husband, Levi.

Yes, ma'am. Good to meet you all.

And Ms. Katherine Goble.

She's not married. She's a widow.

With three beautiful little girls,

so well-behaved. Angels on earth, is what we'd like to call 'em.

- Dorothy, slice-a pie? - I'd love one

Excuse me

You already have a slice-a pie, Doro..

Well, I was just

- fixing my three babies some plates. - May I help?

Sure. Ah! Fruit salad!

Pastor mentioned you're computer at NASA

- Yes - What's that entail?

We calculate the mathematics necessary to enable

launch and landing for the Space Program.

- Pretty heady stuff! - Yes, it is.

They let women handle that sort of..

That's.. Not what I mean

What do you mean?

I am.. Just surprised something so.. Taxing

Mr. Johnson

If I were you, I'd quit talking right now

I don't mean any disrespect

I'll have you know, I was the first Negro female

student at West Virginia University Graduate School.

On any given day, I analyze the manometer levels

for air displacement friction and velocity.

And compute over 10,000 calculations by cosine,

square root and lately Analytic Geometry.

By hand. There are 20 bright,

highly capable Negro women in the West Computing Group,

and we're proud to be doing our part for the country.

So, yes

They let women do some things at NASA, Mr. Johnson.

And it's not because we wear skirts

It's because we wear glasses

Have a good day

Scott, welcome to Langley. Welcome to Langley.

Right here, Gentlemen

That's Alan Shepard.

US Navy pilot. He could be the first man in space.

That's Scott Carpenter and Walter Schirra.

Also Navy pilots.

All under 5'11", 180 lbs.

IQs over 130.

And handsome must be a requirement too.

How could you possibly be ogling these white men?

It's equal rights. I have the right to see fine in every color.

That's John Glenn.

He's the only Marine Corps pilot.

Gentlemen, if we may.. Much to see around here.

We haven't shaken all the hands yet.

- We have a fairly tight itinerary, Colonel. - Ruth, it's fine.

- He's coming straight. - Look around ahead.

Ladies. Didn't wanna run off without saying hello

They seem to be in a big rush around here.

The Russians certainly aren't slowing down any.

They can't build the refrigerator, how the heck they beat us into space?

What do you ladies do for NASA?

- Calculate your trajectories. Launch and landing.

- I can't get anywhere without the numbers. - No, sir.

Mary Jackson, Mr. Glenn.

Engineering. And I'm proud as the devil to be workin' with you.

Thank you, Mary.

John!

- I must take it inside - Yes, sir.

Guys!

Mr. Harrison wants you to confirm launch

and landing for the Redstone Rocket test.

I cannot work on what I cannot see, Mr. Stafford.

It's illegible.

Those numbers have already been confirmed by two engineers

in this department, and myself.

This is more or less a dummy check.

This one, like make a two. Make a double. OK? Get it?

No one thought to measure these things.

I'm afraid, not. Sir.

Would you like us to stop?

No. No, just..

I see, no. Just keep going.

In fact

- Use.. Use the big hammer - Yes, sir.

Come on, use the big hammer. You heard the man. Let's go!

Ma'am.

Our runner can pick up your work, Dorothy.

You need to be workin', not walkin'.

Oh! It's break time, ma'am. No trouble at all.

Well, since you made the trip

you can take that batch over there

Sure thing, Mrs. Mitchell.

You need somethin' else?

Yes, ma'am.

I was wondering if you knew what they're building over in the Tech Wing.

It's called an IBM.

A mainframe machine.

Apparently, it can do our calculations in a fraction of the time.

Guess that's good for NASA.

Hurry on, now. Best if you do it in one trip.

Excuse me

Is that correct?

Yeah

Whose work is that?

I said, whose work is that?!

Katherine Goble, sir.

How did you know the Redstone couldn't support orbital flight?

That's classified information

It's top secret.

Well, it's no secret why the Redstone test keep failing

its flight for sub-orbital flight, but it can't handle the weight of the capsule

and push it into space.

Numbers don't lie.

And you figured it all out with this?

Half the data is redacted

What's there tells the story if you read between the lines.

The distance from launch to orbit, we know. Then mass we know.

The Mercury Capsule weight, we know.

And the speeds are there.. In the data.

You did the math.

Yes, sir.

I looked beyond.

And how do you know about the Atlas rocket?

That's not math.

That data's not here. Like he said, it's classified.

I held it up to the light.

- You held it up to the light? - Yes, sir.

Yep. There it is.

Atlas

What's your name?

Katherine Goble.

- Are you a spy, Katherine? - Am I what?

- I'm saying, are you a Russian spy? - No, sir.

I'm not Russian.

She's not Russian, sir.

All right then, we have nothing to lose here.

Give her everything she needs to work on Shepard's trajectories.

Without redaction. Are we clear now?

Right. Are we sure about this?

What's the issue, Paul? You heard her.

She's not a spy.

I.. I just don't think it's a good idea.

You know what I think is a good idea?

Darker ink.

I think darker ink is a good idea. Ruth, could pass it along?

Yes, sir.

- Thank you, Katherine - Thank you, sir.

This interrogation is over

You can probably get to the moon and back with this.

Just not the bathroom.

At least they're not blind to what you do.

It's not going to matter soon.

This IBM's going to put us all out of work.

What can we do about it?

Only one thing to do

Learn all we can. Make ourselves valuable.

Somewhere down the line a human being's going to have to push the buttons.

That's right.

Oh, mercy

Well, she must be lost.

NASA doesn't commission females for the Engineer Training Program.

That position is available to any qualified applicant.

Right. Except you don't have the educational requirements.

I have a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics and Physical Sciences.

It's the same as most engineers around here.

Well, we now require advanced extension courses through the University of Virginia.

It's in the Employee Handbook. An addendum.

Case you haven't read it

Every time we have a chance to get ahead, they move the finish line.

I just follow the rules around here. And I expect..

Everyone who works for me to follow them as well.

There are no special circumstances for anyone.

You all should be thankful, you have jobs at all.

"For those that cannot attend classes

at the University of Virginia,

Advanced Extension Courses are available at Hampton High School."

That's still a segregated school, Mary

Virginia acts like Brown vs. Board of Education never happened.

They'll never gonna allow a colored woman just take classes at an all white school!

- Sounds about right. - That's all you're gonna say?

Well, I'm not going to sit here all day and listen to you

complain about the way things are, we're tryin to play cards.

Petition the court. Fight for what you want. But quit talking about it

- I've been complaining? - For days

Ladies

Not one more peep about work.

Deal me in

Katherine, come on

You

Yeah! I needed this! Thank you!

Don't give her any more Katherine

I can't. She drank it all.

Yes. I'm fine

I'm as fine as I've ever been.

You're as drunk as you've ever been.

Come on! Let's dance, girls.

Come on, Kath! Let's dance.

Go dance, Katherine.

Come on!

We're gonna teach you how

Keep going, here! All right. Slow! Here slow down.

Segregation must go!

Don't pay attention to any of that. We're not part of that trouble. Go on.

Leonard..

We must have done it.

We don't want any trouble in here.

Oh! I'm not here for any trouble. Ma'am.

What are you here for?

A book.

You have books in the colored section.

It doesn't have what I'm looking for.

Well, that's just the way it is.

Well, you know better...

Get your hands off my boys. Don't touch them.

You have a blessed day.

Separate and equal are two different things.

Just cause it's the way doesn't make it right.

Understand?

Yes, mamma.

You act right, you are right. That's for certain. Understand?

Yes, mamma.

You took that book, mamma?

Son, I pay taxes.

And taxes pay for everything in that library.

You can't take something you've already paid for.

FORTRAN is a new and exciting language..

Used by programmers to communicate with computers...

It's exciting, as it's the way of the future.

And everybody smile.

Everybody smile.

Make a wish!

Leonard, you need to get you a job now.

Two girls!

- Well, look at that. - Look at what?

What a surprise.

I'll say.

- Howard must have invited him. - Mmm. Hmmm.

Let me go help him with those flowers

I believe I owe you an apology.

Well, is that it?

Can I make it while we dance?

I'm afraid I simply misspoke the other day, Mrs. Goble.

I've been away for a long time.

I imagine, I'm just out of practice.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. I was hoping you would allow me to start over?

Mm-hmm.

So, the thing is..

I have an interest in getting to know you better.

Mm-hmm.

You are one tough customer. Huh?

You haven't said you're sorry yet

Right. Of course.

I'm sorry, Katherine.

For what, Jim?

Underestimating you.

And any other woman like you.

Though I don't imagine there's many.

That's good practice, right there.

We interrupt this musical programming with breaking news.

The Soviet news agency has announced that Russian cosmonaut,

Yuri Gagarin, has become the first man in space.

Gagarin completed one full orbit around the planet in 108 minutes.

Stay tuned to the station for more details, as they become available.

Well, I guess that puts us behind the curve.

The Vostok 1 rocket, delivered Russian cosmonaut

Yuri Gagarin, 3KA capsule into orbit at 6:07 UTC.

Reentering Russian Air Space at 7:55 UTC. Proving conclusively

that man could survive orbital space flight Gagarin was awarded the Order of Lenin

Well..

They beat the pants off us. Let's go..

Just learn how to fly to space.

And has been proclaimed a national hero.

This is a day of unprecedented triumph for the Russian space program,

And a crushing blow for America in the race for space.

I want to thank everyone for staying.

I know it's late, and after what we just saw

I'm sure everyone's probably anxious to go home.

But before we do, I just have to ask the question

The same one

I've been asking myself all the way over here, which is

How the hell did we find ourselves in second place in a two men race?

Anybody?

Paul?

I think Glenn said it pretty well. They're just outworking us.

And the reason I have to..

Think that is because I refuse to believe that the Russians are smarter than us,

or that they have more technology. Or that they care more.

But I don't know? Is that possible?

Is it possible that it actually means more to them?

We're in the fight of our lives, people.

Not on some epic joyride!

I just saw seven faces

who weren't sure that we can get there.

This is our problem.

And so, as of right now,

There's only two things you need to know going forward

One is, staying here working late that's gonna be a fact of life.

And two, don't expect your paychecks reflect the extra time

it is gonna take to catch up and pass those bastards.

For those of you that can't work that way, I understand 'em

thank you for what you've done.

For everyone else,

I suggest you call your wives..

And tell them how it's gonna be.

I'll start with mine.

- Sam, keep it up - Yes, sir

End of the day.

Okay. We're looking good...

Try!

- Sir! It might be the selector latch! - I'm taking a walk!

We're honored to serve our country. So, we don't think about..

Danger. No time to be scared.

We got a job to do

Mrs. Jackson!

Colored seats are at the back of the courtroom.

Thank you, ma'am.

So, which one of you wants to go first?

The IBM 7090 Data Processing System,

It has a capability of solving of over 24,000 multiplications

per second!

- Holy Moses, that's lightning fast - They'll never get that to work.

It'll run eventually. And when it does we have to know how to program it.

- Unless you'd rather be out of a job? - No!

Mr. Z.

I got a court date.

Computer uses it as its high speed storage unit

An information holding device.

So you have a brain

That, I can work with

that's in the wrong spot

That a girl!

- Ruth! - Yes, sir.

Get the Cape on the line. Shepard's trajectories need to be updated.

Where is she?

Where the hell have you been?

Everywhere I look you're not where I need you to be.

And it's not my imagination. So where the hell do you go everyday?

To the bathroom, sir.

The bathroom

To the damn bathroom!

For 40 minutes a day?

What do you do in there?

We are T-0 here. I put a lot of faith in you.

There's no bathroom for me here.

What do you mean there's no bathroom for you here?

There is no bathroom!

There are no colored bathrooms in this building,

or any building outside the West Campus.

Which is half a mile away. Did you know that?

I have to walk to Timbuktu just to relieve myself

And I can't use one of the handy bikes.

Picture that, Mr. Harrison

My uniform...

Skirt below my knees, my heels

and simple string of pearls. Well, I don't own pearls.

Lord knows you don't pay the coloreds enough to afford pearls!

And I work like a dog day and night,

living off a coffee from a pot none of you want to touch!

So, excuse me..

If I have to go to the restroom a few times a day

There you have it!

No more colored restrooms.

No more white restrooms.

Just plain old toilets.

Go wherever you damn well please.

Preferably closer to your desk.

Here at NASA,

we all pee the same color

Heard you were fighting the flu. Thought you could use some soup?

Hot meal for the girls.

Come on, in.

Excuse me

OK, ladies Let's say grace..

Bow your heads.

Dear Lord! Thank you for this meal..

We ask that you blessed this food, so that it may bless our bodies.

In Jesus name, we pray.

Amen.

It's a history day here at Cape Canaveral, and here what we can expect; Alan Shepard and

Freedom 7 will be launched into space at an altitude about 116 miles an hour.

- Dorothy! Come on or you'll miss it! - I'm coming.

Freedom 7, we're gonna have to bleed off some of the pressure

the liquid oxygen tank

that should reduce the temperature inside the capsule, over

Any day now, Capcom.

Fix your little problem, and light this candle

Roger that, Freedom 7. Standby.

Move to final countdown sequence.

Moving to final countdown sequence.

Roger that.

And we're at T-10..

9... 8... 7... 6...

.. 5... 4...

3... 2...

1... Zero!

We have ignition

And we have liftoff!

Get up there

Get on up there.

Trajectory is good.

Yaw is okay

Switching to manual roll.

For the eyes of the world

now look into space,

to the moon and to the planets beyond..

And we have vowed... that we shall not see it governed

by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner

of freedom and peace. We set sail on this new sea,

because there is new knowledge to be gained

and new rights to be won

We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things

not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

Suppose we should all thank President Kennedy for continued job security.

Gus Grissom's up next.

Another suborbital flight with a Redstone.

Our last shot before we strap Glenn to the Atlas..

And.. Pray we can brng him back down.

Yes, and I imagine he'd like us to have the math worked out beforehand.

Good work, gentlemen.

Go have dinner with your kids. Then...

let's get back to work.

I think it's high time that I kissed you, Kathe.

Oh. And why's that?

Figure you're attracted to me the same as I to you.

Is that right?

Or you would have told me to get going a long time ago.

Haven't kissed a man in a long time.

Almost forgot how to.

The FBI has arrested four white men accused of throwing a fire

bomb into a Freedom Riders' bus south-side of Anniston, Alabama.

- Hi, baby! - Hello!

- The kids don't need to be watching this.. - They need to see this

Everyone needs to see this.

We think we're rendering a great service to our nation.

For this is not a struggle for ourselves alone.

It is the struggle to save the soul of America.

Mary Jackson.

Petition to attend courses at Hampton High School.

Good morning, your honor.

Hampton High School is a white school, Mrs. Jackson.

Yes, your Honor. I'm aware of that.

Virginia is still a segregated state.

Regardless of what the Federal Government says, or regardless what..

Supreme Court says our law..

Is the law.

Your Honor, if I may.

I believe there are special circumstances to be considered.

What would warrant a colored woman attendin' a white school?

May I approach the bench, sir?

Your Honor,

You of all people should understand the importance of being first.

How's that, Mrs. Jackson?

Well, you were the first in your family

to serve in the Armed Forces.

US Navy.

The first to attend University.

George Mason.

And the first State Judge to be re-commissioned by three consecutive Governors.

You've done some research.

Yes, sir.

What's the point?

The point is, your Honor...

No Negro woman in the State of Virginia has ever attended an all white high school.

- It's unheard of. - Yeah! Unheard of.

And before Alan Shepard sat on top of a rocket,

no other American had ever touched space.

And now, he will forever be remembered as the US Navy man from New Hampshire.

The first to touch the stars.

And I, sir.

I plan on being an engineer at NASA.

But I can't do that without taking them classes at that all-white high school.

And I can't change the color of my skin.

So, I have no choice.. But to be the first.

Which I can't do without you, sir.

Your Honor,

of all the cases you'll hear today,

which one will matter in a hundred years from now?

Which one will make you the "first?"

Only the night classes.

Mrs. Jackson.

- How late did you say it was gonna be? - No more than 5 minutes sir.

Gus Grissom's coordinates..

I'd like to get a jump on John Glenn's trajectory.

Do you have any idea what you're asking?

An orbital launch with an Atlas Rocket is going to take time.

Is there a problem?

Mr. Harrison...

I was wondering....

I've been wondering my whole life. So just... Spit it out.

Well, sir.

I'd like to get a jump on John Glenn's trajectory.

This isn't about plugging in numbers, this is about inventing the math.

I think we talked about that, right? It doesn't exist.

I can do it, sir.

Do you know any idea how exacting these calculations have to be?

It's like shooting a sawed-off shotgun from a thousand feet,

and getting that one beebee through a hole so tiny, you can't even see it.

I'm an excellent shot, sir.

How about Grissom's numbers. Paul?

They've been spot on.

Give Glenn's orbit a go.

But you run it all through Stafford. Understood?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Computers don't author reports.

Capcom, this is Liberty Bell 7

loud and clear

ok, it's nice ride up to now

Liberty Bell 7 capsule is taking on water.

Gus Grissom is out of the capsule. Rescuers are now going to pull him from the Ocean waves.

Unfortunately, Liberty Bell 7 capsule..

.. Is lost.

Mr. Harrison, Taxpayer money sank in the ocean along with your capsule.

What makes you think you can bring John Glenn home safely?

Let me say first that discovery is never for the sake of discovery, Gentlemen,

but for the sake of human survival.

It will always come with the risk.

Whoever gets there first, will make the rules. That's been true of every civilization. And so..

I think the bigger question for this body to consider is..

Who do you want calling the shots in space?

We have to know what's out there, Senator.

We have to touch the stars. If only to ensure our own survival.

And only a man can do that.

We'll get John Glenn home safely because we have to,

because he has to tell us what he saw.

The Redstone Rocket went straight up.

But the capsule..

.. Didn't have enough speed to go into orbit. So came back down.

Essentially it's a triangle.. Earth, sub-orbit, Earth.

That math was known.

That took Shepard, took Grissom.

That cannot take Glenn.

Now, The Atlas Rocket..

That can push us into orbit. It goes up

delivers the capsule into an elliptical orbit.

Earth's gravity keeps pulling it,

but it's going so fast that it keeps missing the Earth.

That's how it stays in orbit.

Now, Getting it back down...

That's the math we don't know.

Yes, Katherine

So, the capsule will spin around the Earth forever,

because there's nothing to slow it down?

That's right. Slowing it down at precisely the right moment,

by precisely the right amount

That is the task.

Yes, Katherine

So, it means to move from an elliptical orbit.. To a parabolic orbit?

Yes. That's the Go/ No Go.

Now, this point is a pin head.

- We bring him in too soon.. - He burns up on reentry.

That's right. We bring him too late, and he's pushed out of Earth's gravity.

Any changes to mass, weight, speed, time,

distance, friction... or a puff of wind.. Would alter the Go/No Go.

And we start our calculations.. Over

Yes.

So, we need to be able to choose this re-entry point.

This Go/No Go. This has to be exact.

Sam

These are the latest Redstone numbers and current capsule data.

Obviously, we know the launch spot

The Pentagon Briefing should illuminate where the Navy needs the recovery zone.

When we work backwards from there.

And the rest is on us. So, let's get to work.

- Mr. Stafford. - What, Katherine?

If I could attend the briefings, I would be more useful to the project.

Pentagon briefing is a closed door.

Yes. But if we don't have the information,

of the changes.. We can't keep up. I need those changes as they occur.

- As you said, it's a pin head. - Katherine, that's the job.

You asked for this assignment. So just calculate with what you have.

Or we'll find someone who can.

OK.

That'a girl.

And what the hell are you doing? You can't be in here

Who are you?

I'm with the West Computing Group.

Dorothy Vaughan, sir.

Well, this is a very delicate piece of equipment.

I'm sorry, sir. I'm just trying to be helpful.

Bill, we've got numbers.

What kind of numbers?

Well, I'll be.

What's your name again?

Dorothy Vaughan.

Dorothy Vaughan...

Sir, the parameters for Friendship 7.

Oh, this is all moot. We're altering the window on the capsule.

When did this happen?

6 minutes ago. The mass is changing. Start over.

Sir.. If I could attend briefings.. I could stay current..

Katherine, we've been through this. It is not possible.

There's no protocol for women attending.

There's no protocol for a man circling the Earth either, sir.

OK. That's just the way things are.

Colonel Glenn's launch coordinates accounting for the window change, sir.

I've told you this: Computers don't author reports. Fix it.

Those are my calculations. My name should be on it.

But it is not the way this works.

Paul. What's happening here?

Mr. Harrison, I'd like to attend today's briefing.

- Why's that? - Well, sir, the data changes so fast.

The capsule changes. The weight and the landing zones are all changing everyday.

I do my work, you attend these briefings. I have to start all over.

Colonel Glenn launches in a few weeks.

We don't have the math figured out yet.

- Why is it she can't attend? - Because she doesn't have clearance, Al.

I can not do my work effectively if I do not have all of the data,

and all of the information as soon as it's available.

I need to be in that room, hearing what you hear.

Pentagon Briefings are not for civilians. It requires the highest clearance.

I feel like I'm the best person to present my calculations

- You're not gonna let this go are you? - No, I'm not

Let her in? She's a woman. There's no protocol for a woman attending.

Okay, I get that part, Paul.

But within these walls, who... makes the rules?

You, sir. You're the boss. You just have to act like one. Sir.

You keep quiet.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Gentlemen

This is Katherine Goble with our Trajectory and Launch Window Division.

Her work is pertinent to today's proceedings.

Come on. Go get her a chair.

We have a confirmed launch window..

- Give her your chair. - Yes, sir.

We have a confirmed launch window for friendship 7. Let's discuss a landing zone.

The Navy needs a singular landing zone.

20 miles square is what we can service for retrieval.

Outside of that, we risk the capsule's recovery.

We'd like 3 possible recovery areas.

We can't cover half the damn ocean.

With all due respect, our capsule's being altered daily.

We're orbiting the Earth at... what's the speed now?

17,544 miles per hour.

At the time the rocket delivers the capsule into low space orbit.

That's one hell of a speeding ticket.

OK. So we have the vehicle's speed,

the launch window and for argument's sake, the landing zone is The Bahamas.

Should be enough to figure the Go/No Go?

- Yeah! In theory, sir. - We need to be past theory at this point.

We'll be able to calculate a Go/No Go with that information.

When exactly is that gonna happen?

Katherine.

Have a go at it?

The Go point for re-entry

is 2,990 miles

from where we want Colonel Glenn to land.

If we assume that's The Bahamas.

At 17,544 miles per hour..

Upon reentry..

370..

At a descent angle..

Of 46.56 ..

Degrees.. Distance..

OK! So, that puts the landing zone at...

25.0667 North,

77.3333 West.

Which is here

Right here. Give or take 20 square miles.

I like her numbers.

Thank you.

That of course is assuming the .. Capsule hits the reentry point exactly

How do we insure that?

That's the math we don't have yet, gentlemen.

We're working on it.

Katherine

What's it gonna take to make this thing worth the price tag?

We're just getting up to speed here, Mr. Harrison.

I need more man power.

I mean Programmers. Folks to feed the cards.

Then get them, for crying out loud. Right?

- You're the IBM man, right? - Yes, sir.

Pull them out of the sky if you have to, but let's get ahead of

- this thing. Or I'm not paying you. - Understood

I got that one

I'm not paying any of you!

- Me? - Temporarily. Yes.

We need the IBM for Glenn's launch.

The Lead Engineer says you're good with the cards, programming and such.

What about the girls here?

Human computers can't calculate an orbital flight in the time we have.

- They'll stay put for now. - What about after "now"?

After the Glenn launch, NASA's dissolvin' the Computing Groups.

I'm not accepting reassignment.

Unless, I bring my ladies with me.

Excuse me?

We're going to need a lot of manpower to program that beast.

I can't do it alone. My girls are ready

They can do the work.

Ladies! We've been reassigned.

Leave your calculators. You won't need them where we're going.

Welcome, ladies!

Do you know what your job is, Paul?

To find the genius among those geniuses.

To pull us all up.

We all get to the peak together, or we.. Don't get there at all.

Yes. Well. Good night, sir.

I don't know what time I'm coming home.

The class ends at 9.

You got something to say?

Thought you might need these.

You can refill em with any weight lead you want.

See, you just hit the top like this.

Lead comes out

You put the new lead in..

And.. New pencil

You will make a fine engineer.

- You think so? - Yes.

And nobody dare stand in the way of Mary Jackson's dreams. Myself included.

- Don't make me mad again. - Yes, ma'am.

And don't make me late either.

You don't really want me to make you?

Hi, gentlemen. Tonight we discuss PlanckEinstein.

Wavelength relationships..

Yes?

I'm Mary Jackson. I'm enrolled.

Well. The curriculum is not designed for teaching... a woman.

Well, I imagine it's the same as teaching a man.

I don't see a colored section. Should I just take any seat?

Thank you.

OK.

PlanckEinstein...

The problem is when the capsule moves from an elliptical orbit to a parabolic orbit.

There's no mathematical formula for that.

As we can calculate launch, landing

but without this conversion, the capsule stays in orbit, we can't bring it back home.

Maybe we've been thinking about this all wrong.

How's that?

Maybe it's not new math at all.

It could be old math.

Something that looks at the problem numerically, and not theoretically

- Math is always dependable. - For you it is.

Euler's Method.

- Euler's Method? - Yes.

- That's ancient. - But it works!

It works numerically.

That's it!

Let's type it up.

Dorothy.

Mrs. Mitchell.

You're working late today?

Seems always happened that way

Yes. Seems to.

Thank you.

I hear the IBM is at full capacity.

You certainly have a knack for it

My father taught me a thing or two about mechanics.

You know, I have a few girls in the East Group that have an interest in learnin' more about it.

- It is the future. - I may bring em by, if it's all the same to you.

That's not my decision. Ma'am. That would be the supervisor's.

Yes. That's true.

Well. Good night, Mrs. Mitchell.

You know, Dorothy...

Despite what you may think.. I have nothin' against ya'll.

I know. I know you probably believe that.

Goodnight, Katherine.

Good night!

- Mamma. - Hey, baby

Hi! Hey!

Please don't tell me I miss someone's birthday

- No, you didn't - No, you didn't, mamma

Madame... Your seat.

Thank you Well, is it my birthday?

No, mamma.

You're all look so pretty

Mamma, What's going on?

Good evening, Katherine.

- So, you are not gonna say anything? - It's not my place.

You, really?

Okay, I'm not going to do this all night...

Oh, mother of mercy. That's for me?

Are you sad, Mamma?

- No! - It's okay, Mamma. - He's a good man.

I know. I know. I just. I can't help it.

He hasn't even asked you yet.

I know, but he is.. You are, right?

If ya'll let me.

Go on. She's already crying.

- This was my mother's ring. - It is beautiful

- She and my father were married for.. - For 52 years.

I figure it's about as lucky as a ring as you can get.

The day I met you, I called my mother...

I said: "Mom! I met the woman I want to marry."

What'd she say?

She said: "She must be something, Jimmy. Really something."

Then what'd you say?

I said: "No, She is more than Something, She is Everything."

I planned on this being more romantic. I'll make that up to you real soon.

But I know marrying you.. Includes me and the girls as well.

Amen to that.

I do.

- I didn't ask you yet. - Hurry up!

No pain, please! No, girls. No tears.

The Mercury Atlas Space vehicle, which will putt John Glenn

the first American into Earth orbit,

has already undergone 5 unmanned flight tests.

NASA has confirmed that the IBM 790 data processing

system has been utilized to confirm all of the mission's long and recovery system calculations.

The modifications and equipment installations are progressing on the schedule.

Them, Here

- You wanted to see me, sir? - Have a seat

Is there something wrong, Mr. Harrison?

No. There's nothing wrong.

In fact our IBM is churning out numbers in fractions of the time any human can

Present company included.

That's good then.

Maybe.

The thing is, the Cape is now insisting on doing all the backups down there. On site.

I see.

So, we won't be running backups here.

And truth be told, we can't keep up with that IBM anyhow.

Long story short, we no longer need a.. Computer in this department.

Progress is a double edged sword.

Let's have you report back to the West Group for now.

- I'll see if we can find another assignment. - Thank you, sir.

Katherine, I'm.. I'm sorry about this

It's out of my hands, if you can believe that.

I understand.

Katherine.. We heard you got engaged.

Yes. That's thoughtful of you.

- They're lovely. - Mr. Harrison's idea really.

Although I suspect his wife did the picking out.

I can't imagine he has an eye for anything but numbers..

Now, you have a great wedding. You did good work around here, Katherine.

I don't think I felt a thing the first time I did this.

I was so nervous.

- This is as beautiful as you were back then. - You think so?

Just a little older.

And a little fuller... But you look good.

Here we go. Again.

That'a girl

.. And Colonel John Glenn will be the first American to orbit the Earth.

As you can see, there are thousands of people here to witness this historic event

Paul, something's off here. These landing coordinates don't match yesterday's.

The IBM just ran them.

So then the IBM was wrong yesterday, right?

Or the damn thing is wrong today.

Paul, Am I right? - It appears so.

The IBM has been spot on up to this point, John.

But we'll run it again, to see what it comes up with.

I'll be honest with you, Al When I fly, I fly the machine,

Right now, it seems like this machine is flying me.

We're on the same page, John. Our guys are on it.

Let's get the girl to check the numbers.

- The girl? - Yes, sir.

- You mean Katherine? - Yes, sir. The smart one.

If she says they're good, I'm ready to go.

- All right. We'll get into it. - Roger!

Sam! Go find Katherine Goble.

She needs to verify Glenn's Go/No Go or we're staying on the ground.

Yes, sir.

I'm looking for Katherine Goble

- It's Katherine Johnson now. - They need you to verify these coordinates.

All right. Give her some space to work.

A truly historic day for America..

The country has waited for several months, through many failed unmanned Atlas rocket tests

and 10 scheduled manned attempts,

which were canceled for various mechanical or system complications.

All the final tests and checks are being conducted, John Glenn is ready to board the Friendship 7.

But today we remain truly optimistic

and it's a go day in all regards

the capsule is ready, the rocket itself is a OK, and the weather here at..

- Anything from Langley? - Not yet.

We're being told the mission control at Nasa is conducting a final check

of the launch and recovery coordinates including the go/no-go calculations

so crucial to a safe and successful launch and recovery

After years of waiting, and months of delays,

col. Glen is finally ready for that space flight we've been waiting for with so much anticipation

- We are still a go. - Yes, sir.

That's it.

What the devil are you doing? Are you taking a break?

You have the time?

Sir.

Pad 14.

Katherine!

Come on

Sir, we've got Pad 14 on the box.

Alright, let me in there.

This is Langley. We have the coordinates confirmed.

Standby, Langley.

We can confirm the Go/No Go point for re-entry is..

16.11984 degrees latitude - 165.2356 degrees longitude.

The launch window is a go. The landing coordinates match.

That's very good news, Al.

It's a little hard to trust something you can't look in the eyes.

That's right, Colonel. Katherine did manage to calculate

a few decimal points further than that hunk of metal.

Well, I'll take every digit ya got. Be sure to thank her for me.

- Gentlemen! Let's launch this rocket. - Good luck, Friendship 7.

God speed, Langley.

Here at Cape Canaveral the countdown has resumed as Colonel John Glenn

is now aboard Friendship 7, high above the Atlas rocket on Pad 14.

A height of over 93 feet ..

These pictures are from Cape Canaveral, Florida Deck entry is now moving back.

We're go for launch.

The Mercury Spacecraft umbilical is out

T-10 seconds, and counting

8.. 7.. 6.. 5..

4.. 3.. 2..

1.. Zero. Ignition.

It's getting bumpy along here.

Roger that. You are in Max Q.

Roger that Capcom

Twenty seconds to SECO.

- The trajectory is still be "OK". - Go for SECO.

Zero G. And I feel fine.

John Glenn reports everything looks good

Oh, that view is tremendous.

Roger that, Friendship 7.

- You are go for orbit. - Thank you, Capcom!

All right. 10.5 hours to go. If we make 7 round trips.

I could use a coffee.

Well, as we approach the end of day here on the Eastern seaboard..

Colonel Glenn is just beginning his third orbit.

Three quarters of the way across the African continent.

We see he is currently over Zanzibar, which is the next tracking station coming up.

Thankfully the Friendship 7 capsule is..

New assignment came down the pike.

Always changing round here. It's hard to keep up.

Seems like they're gonna need a permanent team to feed that IBM

- How big of a team? - 30 to start.

Thank you for the information, Mrs. Mitchell.

You're quite welcome... Mrs. Vaughan.

We have a warning light!

Capcom 7, I have a warning light.

Standby, 7.

Sir, we have a warning light!

- What are we looking at, Paul? - The heat shield may have come loose.

7, will you confirm the landing bag is in the OFF position?

Affirmative, Capcom.

Al, we need to get him down, now He could burn up on re-entry.

Come on, babies!

There's a man in space. We don't want to miss it, so we gonna home.

Something's wrong with Glenn.

- Oh, my Goodness! - What's going on?

- Let's go. - Ya'll follow me.

We've just learned, the Friendship 7 is in danger of losing its heat shield.

Have you heard any banging noises? Or anything of this type at higher rates?

That's a negative, Capcom.

Tell him not to jettison the retro-package.

Tell him not to jettison the retro-package.

NASA is confirming there is some sort of malfunction with the capsule's heat shield,

and it may not stay in place.

If the heat shield is loose... The retro- package straps might hold it in place.

- Will that work? - It will work.

It will hold it until he reaches the Go /No Go point. It will work!

He has to override the 05g.

Do it.

Friendship 7...

We're recommending that the retro-package NOT, I repeat, NOT be jettisoned.

This means that you will have to override the 05g switch.

Roger! Is there a reason for this? Over.

Standby, 7.

Not at this time, 7.

Roger, that command. I will make a manual 05g entry,

and bring the scope in. Over.

He knows.

Without a heat shield, there's no way a Colonel Glenn

can get back through the Earth's atmosphere.

The heat is simply too overpowering. A malfunction in the automatic control system

is causing the spacecraft to yaw in a skid like fashion

thus putting the Friendship 7's re-entry point in jeopardy

even now, col. Glen is skidding towards the US

and he must begin the retro sequence

You're going to be using fly-by-wire for reentry.

You'll need to maintain a zero angle. Over.

Roger. I'm on fly-by-wire, back-it up with manual. Over.

Keep talking to him.

Roger. The weather in the recovery area: 3 foot waves, 10 miles visibility.

Capcom, you're going out

He's crossing the communication black-out zone.

There's a real fireball outside, and it's getting a little hot here!

Friendship 7. Do you copy? Over.

Again.

Friendship 7. Do you copy? Over.

Friendship 7. Do you copy? Over.

Loud and clear, Capcom.

Roger that. How are you doing?

My condition is good. But that was a real fireball, boy

Roger that. Let's get you all the way home.

Roger that. Here's hoping these landing coords still hold.

Approaching 16.11984.

- Roger that! - Approaching -165.2356. In 3, 2, 1.

Engaging chutes.

Beautiful chutes. How we're lookin, Capcom?

Your Go/No Go is good. Landing coordinates are spot on, 7.

Roger that, Capcom.

I've always wanted to swim in the Bahamas. Over.

John Glenn has splashed-down, and is being recovered.

John Glenn has splashed-down safely and is being recovered by USS Noa.

Katherine!

- Nice work. - You too, Mr. Harrison.

So..

You think we can get to the moon?

We're already there, sir.

Girls..... This is Mrs. Vaughan. Your supervisor.

- She'll show you how things work. - Yeah! Come on in

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