Original subtitles

T-minus eight hours, five minutes.

T-minus six hours to launch. Personnel not required to...

Sequencing A1 recorders to minute speed.

- Minute speed confirmed. - Flight copies.

T-minus five hours, twenty minutes to launch.

Tough life, huh?

Filet mignon for breakfast.

Hell.

This is a big deal.

A day like today.

Man's got to think about what he's gonna say, you know.

Got to have a...

Got to have something good, something memorable.

You're a great pilot, John.

One of the best.

I have no doubt...

you're gonna make a good astronaut.

But you went behind my back...

and I know all about it.

And we're gonna go out there, and we're gonna

turn up the wattage for the cameras and all, but right now...

we don't have to sit here and pretend like we're best buddies.

Even on a day like today.

And no, a man shouldn't be thinking about what he's going to say.

A man should be thinking about what he's going to do.

Right now, what I'm doing is...

I'm enjoying my breakfast.

And I'd like to eat in some damn peace and quiet.

They're filling the tanks.

At Cape Canaveral, the countdown, which could take days,

began early this morning.

The Project Mercury officials have made no announcement

on either the timing of the launch or the astronaut chosen.

The anticipation will, however, be dulled by the sobering fact

that even if this experiment is a spectacular success,

it will still leave the United States second to Russia.

And if it's a catastrophic failure,

there will be deep gloom compounded by the tragic loss, perhaps, of human life.

This is America's effort

after two and a half years of preparation,

two and a half years since the go-ahead was given

to Project Mercury.

The Redstone rocket is ready.

The Mercury capsule is ready. Our astronaut is ready.

Now everything is in readiness, and it is T-minus nine.

Nine minutes before this first attempt to put a man into space

by the United States.

Now, it is time to take longer strides.

Time for a great new American enterprise.

Time for this nation to take a clearly leading role

in space achievement,

which in many ways

may hold the key to our future on Earth.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,

five, four, three, two, one...

Are you read... You ready for it... You ready?

- Yeah. Re... Ready Freddy. - Yeah. Lay it on me.

Oil.

- Oil. - Oil.

- Mm. - They're drilling like crazy

over in Kern County and I'm thinking, "Okay."

- I'll, uh, catch on as a roughneck. - Right.

Learn the trade, earn some scratch, and buy up some land.

Land is where it is at.

- Yeah. Oil. - Oil. You get it.

It's so handy Having Q-tips 'round the house

You can do so much with Q-tips 'Round the house

Your pets deserve loving care

Clean their ears, eyes, and paws With gentle Q-tips cotton swabs

It's so handy...

Sure you're up for this?

Hey. I'm on chase today. I'm golden.

Just another day at the office.

- Sorry. - Get in here. And shut the damn door.

Well actually, I'm looking for the Space Task Group.

Where are you from?

Old Forge, Pennsylvania.

I knew a fella from Old Forge.

Family had a goat farm.

Do goats shit in your ears in Old Forge, Pennsylvania?

- Uh, no, sir. - So, it's safe to say there's no goat shit

impeding your ability to understand human speech?

Is that the list of test pilots?

- Uh, yes. Yes, sir. - Well, get on in here, kid.

Welcome to NASA.

How am I looking back there, Gordo?

You're clean and dry. Test complete.

This old bird's got a funny chirp.

I think it needs to be let out of its cage.

Drexel will go ballistic if he finds out.

We're out of radar contact.

He ain't gonna find out.

Right on your tail.

This is all of 'em?

Best test pilots in the military. Yes, sir.

How come there's no Marines?

Oh, uh, the Navy guys told me they make all the best test pilots,

and the also-rans get booted back to the Marines.

Chris, this young man says

the Navy, which has a widely acknowledged rivalry

with the Marines, tells him there's no good Marine pilots.

Would you baste that turkey?

- I would not. - I'll find some Marines, but, uh...

No. See, that's...

- It's Andy Holt, he's a... - War hero.

Get ready, Gordo. I'm about to push through the number.

Mr. Lunney, every trade has its occupational quirks.

Lawyers cheat on their spouses.

Politicians take bribes.

Writers like to drink.

Coming left.

Easy! That's a lot of G, Cal.

Cal! Cal? Cal, eject!

And test pilots...

Cal! Eject! Goddamn it Cal, eject!

Eject, Jesus Christ, Cal! Eject! Cal!

Well, test pilots have a particularly odd habit.

Cal! Cal! Cal!

A lot of them die.

I asked for a list of the best test pilots in the United States.

Well, son, your list is out of date.

None of the best test pilots are dead.

What we're doing here has consequences for the entire world.

If Russia gets a man into space first, we could lose the Cold War,

and we don't have any time for do-overs.

Morning.

Uh, yes I did, sir.

- Morning, Henry. - John Glenn.

Look what came in today.

- Would you look at that? - It's on me.

No, I'll do you one better.

- I'll buy us both a copy. - Well, thank you.

Yes, sir.

You know, that's a real nice shot of you.

Oh, well, thank you, sir.

I think anybody would look good standing next to a beast like that.

Have yourself a good day. Say hello to that little lady of yours.

- Okay. And keep smiling. - I couldn't stop if I tried.

New list.

Paint my pecker, he even found you a Marine, Bob.

- One whole Marine, who is it? - John Glenn.

Oh, I love John Glenn.

He was on Name That Tune, same day Sputnik went up.

A bit of a showboat with the Project Bullet thing.

How could you put a list together and not include John Glenn?

Yeah. He named all the tunes, Lunney.

John Glenn. That's good.

How old is he?

"Project Bullet set a record which would not soon be broken, but at 38..."

"But at 38, Major Glenn has reached the practical age limit

"for piloting complicated pieces of machinery through the air,

"and so it falls to a new generation of daredevils to best Glenn's feat

"and take the nation beyond this career-capping accomplishment."

I get all that right?

Uh, it says "achievement," not "accomplishment".

What?

- It's not that bad. - Oh, it's a eulogy.

This is your next achievement.

- You... You're helping to make it. - I don't care about making it.

- I wanna fly it. - You wouldn't be flying anything.

- You'd be two tons of dead weight. - No. I'd be the first man in space.

You already have enough glory, John.

Every schoolkid is gonna know the name of the first American in space.

His face is gonna be everywhere.

He'll never be forgotten.

That's not glory.

That's history.

Jared Felner, he's not too shabby.

Kyle Westin, needs more experience.

- Harvey Hondorf. - Gary Oglevee.

Alan Shepard.

- Alan Shepard. - Who's Alan Shepard?

One of the best pilots the Navy has ever seen.

Yes, he is. And he's also one of the most reckless.

There you are. All alone up in the sky.

You look down and cars are like ants.

Boulders like pebbles.

And you're like a god.

Oh, a god, huh? It's nice that you're so modest.

Pilots are not modest.

Not the good ones, anyway.

Or the ones who know how to do it right.

And when you push the throttle all the way up,

and you're getting close to the speed of sound,

there's all these vibrations.

And then you push through the sound barrier,

and everything is just...

smooth.

So it is better than sex.

Well, like sex, the less of it you get, the more of it you want.

I've been promoted.

Hmm.

So now I don't fly as much.

Okay. So, you're a test pilot, born in New Hampshire,

and you're married.

But you still won't tell me your name.

But I'll tell you anything you wanna know.

I can tell you my shoe size, my blood type... just not my name.

- What, makes it too real? - No, it isn't real.

- It's all just a dream. - Hmm.

Well, if it's all just a dream... then come back to bed.

I gotta go.

What could possibly be more important than this?

Al, hey. Uh, Rick, you know Alan Shepard.

The most talented test pilot the Navy's got.

I need more hours, Bob.

Excuse us a minute, would you? Thank you.

How's that tuna you been chasing, huh?

Red-headed number with a wiggle in her hiney.

X-14s, F-100s, it doesn't matter, just something that I can fly.

- What's Admiral Wright got you doing? - Readiness officer for two years.

Bob, I'm staring at graph paper all day,

I'm calculating the fuel needs for aircraft carriers...

RO's a cushy assignment.

Regular hours, home in time to see the kids.

It's a desk job. I didn't ask for regular hours.

You can donate a point of your IQ to everyone in this place

and still be smarter than almost all of them.

Is that supposed to flatter me?

And unlike your peers, you can do a day's worth of our work

in a couple of hours.

I belong in a plane. I was promised.

No, you kept mouthing off, and we said we'd see what we could do.

Just... come on.

- Can you help me out? - Al, you're not a full-time pilot anymore.

Look around, look where you are.

You won.

Start acting like it.

"If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me,

"even the night shall be light about me.

"Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day.

"The darkness and the light are both alike...

"thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

"And I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

"Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well."

Sir.

Ah. Captain Cooper.

Sir, b... I... I've been doing some thinking.

Well, I thought long and hard and...

in light of...

Well, sir, I have... I have a family, I have two girls, and I was hoping...

I would like to put in for a transfer.

Transfer?

You know, fly transpos, 131s or... or something like that.

How's the hand?

- Better, sir. - What happened exactly?

A jar of peaches, see, I dropped it on the kitchen tile

and went to pick up the shards, and... Well, I was on the phone, got distracted.

I hadn't had my coffee yet, sir.

Look. We're all saddened by Cal's passing.

I just wanna make sure we're all on the same page.

Yes, sir.

You and Cal did everything by the book that day?

Cal was a top-notch stick-and-rudder man, sir, if that's what you're asking.

But we are test pilots.

We push things, and sometimes they break.

Cal wasn't just your wingman, he was your friend. Isn't that right?

That's correct, sir.

You wouldn't wanna soil the reputation of a friend, would you?

And I assume you won't wanna bring further scrutiny to your squadron

or what we do here?

I believe in what we do here,

all I meant to say was that situations in the air can be complex.

Complexity can be confusing.

- I suppose so, sir. - Simple story, Cooper.

- Simple story, sir? - Jar of peaches.

- Sit tight. - Sir?

There's a courier from Washington with a message for you.

Won't even tell me what it is.

Oh, and, uh, transfer denied.

Captain Cooper?

- What's this? - It's top secret, sir.

Major Glenn?

That is the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.

I'm Major Glenn.

I'll be waiting outside, sir.

"Top secret communication. Eyes only.

"To Major John Glenn, US Marine Corps, please report to Langley Air Force Base.

"Secret airman briefing, Monday, February 9th.

"Disembark to the Chamberlain Hotel, 11:00 a.m. of same.

"Civilian attire. ID as Bill Baker."

- It's the space program. - It's the space program.

It's the space program!

Uh, three whiskeys.

Hey, Shepard.

We're racing to Langley in the morning, loser buys drinks, you in?

Langley?

The telegram, numb nuts.

What telegram?

Uh...

What telegram, Wally?

Oh, nothing, just a briefing.

- Wally, just shut up. - You got a telegram about a briefing?

We're racing to Langley, that's all.

What kind of briefing?

- No, no. No brief... - Shut up, Wally.

- Go to hell, Jimmy! - Hey, come on, come on.

- Hey. - Look...

I don't even know. Okay?

They told us to go to Langley, bunch of test pilots, some secret thing.

That's all I know, swear to God.

And I just thought that you would know because you're, you know, you.

Hi, there. Uh, checking in.

- Name? - Bill Baker.

Not only do you all have the same name...

you all look the same, too.

Hey, Shepard.

Hey. This came Friday.

They said only the addressee could sign for it,

so I pretended to be you.

Almost didn't work because I'm so damn handsome.

- Oh, so, last night... - Oh, you idiot.

- It starts in two hours. - Wha... What does?

I don't know.

Shh...

The capsule sits upon 25 tons

of highly combustible ethyl alcohol and liquid oxygen,

powering a Rocketdyne engine

that provides 78,000 pounds of thrust.

Now, if these specifications sound familiar,

it's because, well,

we've essentially removed the core from a nuclear missile.

And we wanna put you in its place.

Shepard! Shepard! Damn it.

Alan Shepard.

Lieutenant commander... very late.

Now, would we like to test the Mercury-Redstone system for years

before risking a man's life?

Yes. But are we afforded such a luxury with the Russians

sneaking satellites through our backyard?

We are not.

Now, you gentlemen are accustomed to testing dangerous, unproven aircraft,

and yet, somehow, you've made it this far in one piece.

Most of you have families.

You have careers. You have lives.

That could all come to an abrupt halt if you sign on to this endeavor.

We wanna take 32 of you to Lovelace Clinic for medical evaluations,

but only seven of you will have what it takes.

And those seven will be the Mercury astronauts.

Now, we have a fantastic agency in the making.

But to be frank, the Russians are sprinting around the track,

and we are still at the starting block, tying our shoelaces.

We need to work fast, we need to work smart.

And we need the best.

Our very way of life is at stake.

The choice is yours, gentlemen.

Sleep on it. Call your wives.

Get word to Mr. Lunney by morning.

- Hey there. Gordo Cooper. - Scott Carpenter.

Ricky Carsrud.

Well, hot damn.

- That's a sight. - What?

Just two of the best pilots who ever lived.

And they'll be the first to tell you.

I can't believe that's our competition.

- Nice to meet you. - Yeah.

- So, did I miss much? - No, not really.

- Well, John, what do you think? - You know how these things go.

A lot of promises out of the gate, and then you hit a wall of red tape.

Come on. A civilian agency?

Yeah. You know, if they were really committed,

it would be a branch of the military.

- It could just be a publicity stunt. - Well, you love those.

- Scotch. - Yes, sir, right away.

So, I'm guessing you're in?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna do it.

Now, was that so hard?

It's almost like you're afraid of the competition,

you wanna thin the pack.

No. No, I'm pretty sure I'll be one of the seven.

Well then, congratulations and good luck.

Thank you.

But what? You're, uh...

No, I'm not gonna be one of the seven.

- No? - Nope.

I'm gonna be the first man in space.

Hey, I just wanted to introduce myself, Gordo Cooper.

- It's a real honor. - The pleasure is all mine, Gordo.

Thank you.

We might just be a part of history here tonight.

It's quite a moment for our country and the entire human race.

Geez.

What are you drinking?

Scotch it is.

- Right away. - Okay, sure.

- Well, look who it is. - You crash the gates or what?

You thought I'd get left behind?

Oh, it's good seeing you, John.

You enjoy that seltzer.

So, Gordo, what's the story behind that paw? Who's the other guy?

- Take it easy, guys. - Yeah. Good night, John.

Deke.

Gus.

Rye?

Rye.

You fish?

Fishing's my favorite.

Also cars.

You?

I love cars and camping.

- Big outdoors. - Hmm.

All right, then.

Yup.

- So, how would I say my drink is empty? - Well...

you would say your go juice is bingo, and it's time to tank up.

And what's Sierra Hotel?

- Well, Sierra Hotel is what I am. - Oh?

You take the S from Sierra, the H from Hotel,

stands for "shit hot."

- I'm Carol. - Bill.

Oh, hey there, I'm Bill.

Bill.

Bill.

Oh, let me guess. Bill?

William.

Very funny, boys.

Goodnight.

To drinking, flying, and screwing.

As long as the first doesn't get in the way of the last.

Sorry about all that.

Let me walk you to your room.

- Are you making a pass at me? - Oh, God. No.

I did that 15 minutes ago.

Now, I'm just flagrantly hitting on you.

809, please.

I am on your wing.

- Your key, sir. - Thank you.

- Where's the kid? - Test pilots aren't our only option.

- What about acrobats? - Jockeys.

They're small, they could easily fit into the capsule.

Lunney!

- Two. Two. - Only two signed on?

Only two declined.

We've got three days to narrow the list from 108 to 32.

Yes. One week of medical and psychological evaluation.

Lieutenant Clark, please.

Uh, Glynn Lunney, uh, Space Task Group. Thank you.

Your itinerary is on its way.

- It'll arrive by courier tomorrow morning. - Well, that's great.

And thank you, Mr. Gilruth.

You really w... want this, don't you?

You remember when we were kids?

Wills Creek?

I always thought if I just... if I just went a little further,

one day, I'd come around a bend,

and then I'd be the first person to step foot somewhere new.

But it wasn't true.

Every inch of the world has been picked over.

Well, you're almost... 40, John.

Not enough adventure yet?

This is my chance to be the first at something memorable.

And I want it more than anyone, Annie.

I have to be gone all week.

New Mexico, a bunch of medical stuff.

I was thinking, get somebody to help you out.

Help... me out?

- You'll be going into... - space alone.

Who's gonna help you out?

- Hello? - Captain Cooper, Chris Kraft.

Calling to see if you're still interested in Project Mercury.

Um... Morning, sir. Uh, yeah. You're damn right I am.

Good.

We'll send over some materials, and we'll also need

to schedule an interview with your wife and family.

- Uh, my family? What... What for? - Just part of the background check.

Of course. Uh, I'll let them know.

Thank you so much, Mr. Kraft.

- Gordo, why are you... - Hi.

Where's, uh... where's your mom and... and the girls?

Asleep.

What are you doing here?

I have some news, and, um...

I need a big favor.

Listen, if you'd just come home...

I can't come home, Gordo. You know that.

I'm trying to live my life.

They're only taking men with stable families.

They know we're separated, I'll wash out.

I don't know, Gordo.

We could start over.

I just did start over.

Think about what this could mean for the girls.

Gordo.

It's space, Trudy.

It's space.

Please.

That really hurts.

We'll insert this into your rectum.

After your sphincters relax, most of the pain should subside.

What the hell was that?

And you'll gag right about...

now.

How many of these do I got to do to go to space, huh?

You have 15 minutes...

to answer the following question.

"Who am I?" You may begin.

"I am a man who values my privacy."

- This isn't an interrogation, Alan. - What a relief.

Many men find it can be rewarding to explore one's emotions

in a safe environment such as this.

- Safe environment. - Such as this.

- Hmm. - Yes.

Well, I said all I need to say.

Do you have a good relationship with your mother?

- Yup. - And your father? How about him?

Doc, you're looking for a brain that's been scrambled into a strange soup

and that's just not who I am.

- How's your home life? Is it happy? - All right.

Have you ever cheated on your wife?

You know, I'm one of the best pilots the United States Navy has ever known.

Me and the other men, we have been here almost a week.

And all you have done is shove scopes down our throats and up our butts,

collecting samples of God knows what,

fluids that I had no idea were sloshing around inside me,

and that's fine.

I draw the line at this.

You don't get to poke around in here, Doc.

My family, my home life, that is mine.

Sure as hell has nothing to do with how good a pilot I am,

or how well I would do in space.

I know how good of a pilot you are, Alan.

And your medical evaluation places you near the head of the pack.

Simple fact is, you're too good.

You puff your chest like someone who knows he'll be picked for the job.

Probably right.

But you aren't honest with yourself,

and that will catch up with you.

Eventually.

Well, it looks like you made it out alive.

Yeah. Well, I'll probably drop dead right around the time we're over Phoenix.

You know, a few months ago, I was walking on the beach

with a scientist buddy of mine.

He tells me that for every grain of sand on all the beaches in the world...

there's at least 50 stars in the universe.

I stood there staring at sand for a good hour.

Pretty wild.

To be born in this country,

right at the moment we finally slip off and go exploring it all.

You know, all I've heard about all week is drinking, and girls,

and guys comparing the size of their giggle sticks.

Nobody's said one word about space...

except you.

Well, that's where we're going, isn't it?

- They're all incredible. - And they're all terrible.

Let's start with the easy ones.

All right, troops. Come on. We got five minutes.

Otherwise, we're gonna be late for service.

Hello?

Yes. Hello, Mr. Kraft.

I am. Yes. Yes. I'd be honored.

And thank you, sir.

I won't let you down.

I got it.

Got what?

Well, it's an honor and a privilege, Mr. Gilruth.

I can't wait to get started. Much thanks to you, sir.

- Congratulations, Al. - I couldn't have done it without you, Lou.

Which of these men will be first to orbit the Earth,

I cannot tell you.

He won't know himself until the day of the flight.

The astronaut training program will last probably two years.

Hello?

Yes.

Gentlemen, it's my pleasure

- to introduce to you... - It would be an absolute honor.

Gus!

Virgil I. Grissom...

Donald K. Slayton...

John H. Glenn...

Walter M. Schirra...

Malcolm S. Carpenter...

I got it!

- You got it! - You're gonna be an astronaut!

- Daddy's gonna be... - Leroy G. Cooper...

You did it!

There's the man!

- Ah! To the space program. - To the space program.

Alan B. Shepard.

These, ladies and gentlemen,

are the nation's Mercury astronauts.

- Mr. Glenn! - One more, one more, one more.

Mr. Glenn. Mr. Glenn, right here please.

Terrific!