And now, to our continuing coverage of NASA's first manned mission
since the explosion of Apollo 23.
Two-and-a-half hours ago, Apollo 24 launched from Cape Kennedy
to relieve Captain Edward Baldwin,
who has been stranded on the moon for 159 days.
The crew is now preparing to fire the ship's engine once again
for what is called the translunar injection, or TLI,
which will send astronauts Wilson, Liu, and Slayton
out of Earth's orbit toward the moon.
Okay, Houston, ball's lined up. We're ready for translunar injection.
Roger, Deke. Copy, 24 is ready to burn for the moon.
So, how'd you like the ride so far?
No doubt in your mind, when this Saturn lifts off, it hauls ass.
I thought you'd like that.
Will you look at that sunrise?
24, Houston. Word from here is you are go for TLI.
Copy. Osprey is go for TLI.
24, Houston. Spacecraft is all yours.
Roger, Gordo.
Okay. We are in operating mode.
Let's go high bit rate. Record.
Forward. Command reset. EMS mode to normal.
S-II SEP lights coming on.
Right on time.
Okay. You've hit the burn window. Looking great.
Okay.
Let's go to the moon.
Five seconds to ignition.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Ignition.
Houston, 24. We have a failure to ignite.
Master alarm, master caution lights and tone.
Nothing's breaking off, but we seem to have a bent bird here.
Okay. We'll take the dump on your data and see what's gone south.
Well... we're not dead.
I should've gone with the blue pinstripe suit. It was more dignified.
No. No, no.
You made the right choice.
It's the last set of clothes I'm ever gonna buy him.
That's it.
Right here.
You know what?
I'm gonna drop these off at the funeral home.
No, that's all right. I can do it. Thank you.
You need to go and train for 25. I got it.
Karen...
let me do this for you, please.
Okay?
- All right. - Okay.
Jesus.
- Who is that? - It's just Marge...
- Trace, who's here? - It's Marge, and Gloria, and Cecilia Liu.
Look, they just thought that today would be a good day to be together.
You know, Deke's finally on his way to the moon,
and they'll be able to relieve Ed in a few days.
And then Ed will be home...
No, I'm not up for that. I'm not up for that.
I don't... I'm not... I just wanna go back to bed.
I don't... want them here. I just... wanna go back to sleep.
I need them to leave me alone.
Just... Ed and I both just need to be left alone.
Okay.
You don't have to worry about entertaining them.
They're just here to hang out.
Pick up the phone...
maybe make you something to eat if you're hungry.
You just rest, baby. Okay?
It's all you gotta do.
Pre-ignition sequence looks normal.
We saw good precool and pressurization in the S-IVB tanks.
But no spark. Like the ASI is stone-dead.
Might be a grounding fault outside the CSM.
Heck, we've looked at just about everything else.
Well, we better come up with something. Ed's been up there too long already.
Amen, brother.
You got something for us, Gordo?
That's affirmative. We've identified the problem.
Flight control computer's got a bad board in the control circuit.
The bad news is it's in the Saturn instrument unit,
and it can't be repaired.
Shit!
You're gonna need a new one.
Well, bring us one.
It's funny you mention that. Someone's gonna do just that.
Who?
This is our payload. The Saturn V flight control computer.
One of several computers aboard the spacecraft.
It lives way up here in the Saturn instrument ring
on the third stage of the launch vehicle.
And once we rendezvous with Apollo 24,
I'll keep station as we link the two ships with a tether and diagnostic cable.
And then connect the new computer to their instrument ring.
Now, the instrument ring is 22 feet across.
The unit is 18 feet from the only access point, which is this door.
So we will need to enter the ring, cross it,
and then swap out the old FCC for the new one.
Do you really think you can pull this off?
They're our best option. They've already got the skill set to do this.
Spent the last year doing EVA training for the orbiting observatory.
Not to mention our ride is stacked on pad 39-B right now.
Then why are we not sending you to the moon?
Well, our booster isn't powerful enough to break Earth orbit.
It's a Saturn IB, not a V, sir.
Bingo. Now,
Deke will have a live video feed back to MOCR in case you all got any questions.
Harrison Liu, on 24, will be assisting me.
Then let's do it.
You leave for the Cape tomorrow morning. Launch in two days.
Thank you, sir.
You got into the Kennedy School?
Were you searching my room?
No. I was just changing the sheets, and this fell on the floor.
Pero, why didn't you tell me?
Because I'm not sure if I wanna go.
What?
Aleida, after all the sacrifices we made to get here...
Your mother's dreams for you and how hard you studied...
Just wanna throw it all away?
I'm not throwing anything away, Papa. The kids at my school, they go to college.
It's because of this boy. Anthony.
He talked you out of this.
He doesn't even know about it. I just wanna stay with my friends.
No, you don't want to leave him.
Do you think Ms. Madison got to where she is by chasing boys?
This isn't Mexico.
The people here actually have fun sometimes.
You don't understand how things work in America.
I understand very well how things work in America.
You're grounded.
Hey.
You just got off console, and you're in here getting hammered?
It's a ginger ale.
Right.
Tell her, Pam.
It's true.
I offered to make him a Shirley Temple, but he wanted it neat.
All right. Why am I here?
I wanted to talk to you about something.
Don't worry. It's good news. It's really good.
I had sort of a breakthrough, Dani.
Dr. Marsten, he...
You're still seeing that shrink?
Gordo, you know that if they find out...
If they find out what? That I'm a liar?
I am a liar.
What are you talking about?
I've decided I'm not gonna keep secrets anymore.
I want the world to know what really happened up there.
So, you want to make an honest man of yourself by exposing me as a liar?
No.
I want to tell the truth.
The people should know that you're the real hero, not me.
I know the truth, all right?
That's all that matters.
I broke my arm to save a fellow astronaut who was going through a rough patch.
I'm proud of that.
Yeah, and I'm proud of you too. And I'm grateful.
Then keep your mouth shut.
Because if you breathe a word about what really happened
out of some misguided sense of justice,
you know damn well they will ground me.
And I have worked too hard to get here, Gordo.
Don't you dare take that away from me.
Karen?
Sweetheart? Look what I brought you. My corn bread.
Come on. Here, you have got to eat something.
Just a few bites at least. Come on.
Thatta girl.
Karen, maybe you need to take a shower, come out, and join the rest of us.
Gloria's here. Cecilia is here. And everyone would love to see you.
Okay.
You just give a holler if you need anything.
All right.
You know I'll only be gone for a few days, right?
Danny...
you sure you don't wanna talk about it?
Hon, you haven't said a word since Shane...
Is that...
He forgot it here.
Honey...
I know how close y'all were.
Please tell me how you're feeling.
You wanna talk to Pastor Callanan?
- No. - Why not?
He smells like onions.
All right, how about this?
How 'bout when I get back, we go to Galveston? Just you and me.
What about Dad and Jimmy?
Yeah, I think they'll be fine without us for a few days. What do you think?
Yeah.
Yeah, all right.
Come here.
I love you, baby.
Love you, Mom.
Your supervisor, Mr. Reilly, thinks the world of you.
Says he wishes he had 20 more custodians like you.
Mr. Reilly has been very good to me.
Do you enjoy working here, Mr. Rosales?
Well, yes.
Everybody's very nice to me.
And to be working for the people that are putting men and women on the moon is...
well, it's a dream.
It certainly seems to have done wonders for your health. You look incredible.
Considering you were hit by a semitruck
and pronounced dead by a coroner six years ago.
I don't understand.
Your Social Security number belongs to a dead man.
- Well... - Who gave it to you?
This man sold it to me so I could get a job.
What man? What's his name?
I don't know.
Is... Is this him?
No.
You sure?
Take a good look.
Yeah.
His name is Valery Kostikov.
He's stationed at the Soviet embassy in Mexico City.
The CIA suspects he's a KGB agent.
I don't know him.
Seems he spoke with Lee Harvey Oswald, among others.
Have you also been in contact with him?
No. Never.
How about this gentleman. Do you know him?
I need you to say yes or no.
No.
His name is Jack McManus.
He's a vice president at FIP Systems in Anaheim, California.
FIP is a NASA contractor.
We arrested him two days ago for selling secrets to the Soviets.
He's willing to name his accomplices.
So think very carefully before you answer again.
Do you know him?
Look, I... I just work here.
I clean the offices. I...
And occasionally remove design documents, which you then pass on...
Hey, hey! I...
I do not steal.
Then how do you explain the fact that we found these in your locker?
Well, those... They were in the trash. It was...
I took them to give them to...
- To whom? - I wasn't gonna...
Who were you going to give them to?
To my friend.
She loves space.
It was just for souvenirs.
I'm gonna ask you one last time.
Who recruited you?
Okay.
I don't know anything about these people.
I swear.
I'm very disappointed, Mr. Rosales.
I hoped you'd be more cooperative.
We're done.
What? What is this?
Where are you taking me? Hey.
NASA's daring repair mission continues as two hours and ten minutes ago,
mission commander Molly Cobb, mission specialist Dennis Lambert,
and rookie command module pilot Tracy Stevens
brought Apollo 25 within feet of the ailing Apollo 24.
The crafts are flying alongside each other in orbit
more than a hundred miles above the Earth's surface,
with the repair mission slated to begin in the next hour or two.
And in political news, in the wake of a sex scandal
and the failures of NASA under his administration,
it remains to be seen if Mr. Kennedy
can gain his party's nomination for a second term.
Party leaders are convening in Washington this week
to discuss the strategy for next year's elections.
Democratic officials have been quick to refute any suggestions
that the president does not have the party's full support.
Danny.
Danny, what are you doing in Shane's bedroom?
He left his pinewood derby car at my house. I brought it back.
I didn't want to bother you. Please don't tell my mom.
No. Of course, it's fine.
I'm sorry about Shane.
Honey, I know. I...
You don't know.
I wanted to break the water meters,
and I let everybody think that it was Shane's idea.
I'm so, so sorry.
I...
Karen. Honey, what's wrong?
Karen?
No. Give her a chance to get some air. She'll be back.
Karen, what are you doing here?
I don't know.
Nice and slow. And hold it.
Okay, that's enough.
Let it settle and see how you feel.
What? No. No.
- No. - Yeah.
I'm sorry. I cannot envision you as a doctor.
Well, my father runs the All Saints Clinic at MD Anderson.
Really? The cancer clinic. The one that's won all the awards.
Yeah.
I was supposed to join him after med school. That was Dad's plan.
But the deeper I got, the more I realized it just wasn't for me.
So what'd you do?
I had a final in organic chemistry.
To prep, I engaged in a little organic chemistry of my own
and downed a hit of LSD.
- You're kidding me. - Yeah.
By the time we reached the oral portion of the exam, I am peaking.
I held forth my theories on mortality.
- Made some salient points, I thought. - Yes.
My professors disagreed.
I was called into the dean's office the next day and expelled.
Wow.
Your father must have been furious.
He disowned me.
I was supposed to feel ashamed, but the weird thing is, is I didn't.
I felt... triumphant.
Because until that moment, I had been living someone else's life.
I was the good little boy always trying to earn another gold star.
From my dad, from my professors, other students.
But that day, I walked off campus a free man.
Headed to Austin and began a new life.
My life.
I was...
just thinking about when I was 12.
Back in Gary, Indiana.
I was walking home from school one day...
and there was this boy, a couple years older than me,
in a vacant lot, setting off bottle rockets.
Ed?
Yep.
So it was love at first sight?
Yeah. Something like that.
My parents were Irish immigrants.
And Ed was very different than them.
So American.
You know, obsessed with cars and airplanes and rockets.
All of the fantastic machines that were gonna whisk us off
to a great big beautiful tomorrow.
I don't know.
I guess I just wanted to be a part of the adventure.
Like he is the pilot, and you are his copilot.
Yeah.
Only...
somehow, over the years, I became part of the ground crew.
Paths change.
Yeah.
Yeah, I know.
I know things have to change.
I don't even know what my life is anymore.
I don't. I mean, I'm...
I mean, I was in my house, surrounded by my closest friends, and...
You know, I thought that that would help.
'Cause we've been through everything together, everything.
Christenings and birthdays, weddings.
Even funerals.
And I thought...
"These people are my family."
You know? My family.
And then I looked at these women in my kitchen, and...
I don't know. Suddenly, I realized, after all of this time, I...
I have no fucking idea who they are.
None.
I have that thought every Thanksgiving.
Yeah.
I just... You know, behind all of the rituals and the rules...
what is there?
Who are they?
Sounds like you're really asking who you are.
Okay. Last fastener.
The thousand-dollar socket wrench works as advertised.
You sound surprised.
Said the man with the busted $200 million spaceship.
Hey, who's making you look good?
How would anybody know it's me in this rig?
Every move is full of attitude.
Okay, Houston.
I can see the computer across the ring.
Going now to unhook the old FCC.
Roger that, 25.
24, your Maytag repair crew is right on schedule.
Molly, you did remember to bring the new one up with you, right?
Shit, Dani, I thought you packed it for me.
What the fuck?
Looks like we got visitors.
Houston, we're running the continuity check to 24's FCC.
Copy that, 25.
Now, if Tracy will just keep the ship steady...
Denny's getting carsick. Can I offer you a Dramamine?
No, but I'd kill for a cigarette.
Oh, roger that.
All right, the unit's installed and I am heading out.
Dennis, how we looking?
Continuity checks good. 24 now has a functioning unit.
Harry, you can unhook the diagnostic line.
Looks like Molly got the FCC installed right the first time.
Our work guaranteed or your money back.
Diagnostic line is now free. Thanks for the service call, 25.
Houston, 24.
We're ready to switch it into our system and initiate the self-test.
Okay. Round the horn for FCC power up and self-test.
- GUIDO? - Go for power up.
- Booster? - Go.
- FIDO? - Go.
- INCO? - Go.
Houston, 24, you are go for FCC power up and self-test.
Pushing in the breaker now.
DSKY is back online.
Wait a minute.
Tank pressures are rising, and I'm showing turbo pump startup.
Shit. Get 'em away from that booster. It's still armed.
Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! No! No!
Molly, are you clear of the RCS?
Damn it, Tracy! Don't overcorrect!
I'm trying to regain control, but we're still tethered to 24.
Come closer. I'll untether you.
Molly, you do that and you'll cut your own safety line.
Who gives a damn? Save the ship.
I've lost the video feed.
Medical telemetry's gone.
Flight, 24's guidance system just dropped out.
Jesus Christ!
Everyone, calm down. Give me a status report on Cobb.
Molly, Houston. You still with us?
I'm still breathing. I couldn't hang on.
My ship's 100 yards off and getting farther away by the second.
- You okay? - Yeah.
But I got a half hour, maybe, of O2 left.
Flight, guidance and nav screens are all junk.
Molly, where's Apollo 24 now?
Kinda like a bat out of hell to somewhere.
Flight, the carrier wave from Apollo 24 just dropped out.
No telemetry or voice comm.
Last thing I got was the IV-B ignition, Flight. Booster readouts are dead.
What the hell is happening here?
Apollo 24's third-stage engine did an uncommanded burn.
Its guidance program must not have reset and told it to fire.
Trace, what's the status of your spacecraft?
Banged up, still functioning.
Looking for Molly.
GUIDO, team up with INCO and Gordo.
Focus your teams on restoring comm to 24.
Figure out their status and where they're headed.
- On it, Flight. - Copy, Flight.
I'll work 24.
- Okay, Flight, we are in search pattern... - Gordo, you stay with Tracy.
I'll take Apollo 24 from here.
DSN stations, we're declaring a spacecraft emergency.
FIDO, do we have a new trajectory for 25 yet?
Coming up now, Flight.
Trace, you see Molly yet?
Got nothing. Dennis?
No joy here.
Look harder. I'm flashing my light.
- Gotcha. - Trace, where's Molly in relation to you?
About eleven o'clock. Falling back.
She's like a bright blob.
Can you make out arms, legs, or head?
Negative. Maybe a V shape if I squint.
Good. That gives us a range estimate.
- She's at least a half mile out. - Puts her about there, Flight.
FIDO, can we get a solid enough track on Molly to calculate a rescue trajectory?
On it, Flight.
Apollo 24, this is Houston. Do you read?
Houston, do we have a recovery procedure for Molly?
We're working on it, Trace.
Save your fuel, Stevens. Who knows what crazy orbit 24 pulled you into?
You're going to need every drop to align for reentry.
Molly, you keep running your mouth,
and you'll run out of O2 before we can get to you.
Face it, kid, my number's up. At least the view's amazing.
They see her. She's only a half mile away.
Flying a spacecraft isn't like driving a car.
It doesn't just go where you point it.
Apollo 24, this is Houston. Do you read?
What's the latest on 24?
Still no comms, Flight.
Radar shows they're still mid-burn. We're trying to extrapolate a trajectory now.
Houston, we need a recovery procedure.
FIDO, where are my numbers?
Flight, we can't generate them accurately with what we have.
Everything we come up with will cost them too much fuel.
They won't have enough to rescue Molly and come home.
Gordo, tell her it's a no-go.
I'm not losing two astronauts in a vain attempt to save one.
Have them prep for reentry on the next orbit.
Negative, Flight.
Not while they've still got a chance to save her.
I gave you an order.
I'm sorry, Flight. No can do.
Apollo 25, Houston.
That's a no-go on a rescue attempt.
Set up for reentry on the next orbit.
Dennis?
I'm with you, Trace.
Screw that, Houston. I'm not leaving Molly up here to die.
Not your call, Stevens.
The hell it's not.
I am the pilot in command of this ship
and the final authority as to the safety of this flight.
I'm going after her.
Forget it, Stevens. I'm not losing my ship because you wanna play hero.
Yeah, well, it's not your ship until you come back aboard, Cobb.
And, Houston? Gordo may be one crazy son of a bitch,
but he knows this spacecraft better than anybody.
So you put him back on, now.
Don't make me regret this.
Okay, Trace, back with you.
Remember what I told you about dogfighting?
"Lose sight, lose the fight."
Right. We lose sight now, we lose Molly.
So I want you to mark her position in the rendezvous window.
Roger that.
She's drifting back.
Okay, Trace.
You need to take manual control on all axes, and keep Molly centered.
Manual control on all axes.
Good. Here comes the fun part.
I want you to get a good LVLH REFSMMAT
and keep pumpin' them pulses on your velocity vector
while you're still pointin' your nose at her.
Looks like thruster quad D isn't firing.
Damn. I wondered why the ship feels all over the map.
Probably got dinged when we hit 24.
All right. How we gonna pull this off, Gordo?
Close the helium to the affected quad and secure it.
Keep eyes on Molly, Trace. I got it.
Control inputs are gonna keep changing,
but just don't do anything dumb, and you got this.
What makes you think I'd do anything dumb?
You married me, didn't ya?
Roger that.
What's the latest on 24?
Apollo 24, Houston.
Trace, where's Molly now?
Still got her in the center, but she's getting smaller.
Just a dot now.
Jesus, it's not working.
- That's right where we want her. - She's moving farther away from us.
25's posigrade thrust will make them slow down at apogee
and take them right to her.
If it works.
Timing is everything.
Especially because they're heading into night.
GUIDO, INCO, anything on Apollo 24?
We'll have a pretty good guess of their trajectory in about two minutes, Flight.
Still nothing from their comms.
Give me the fuel levels on 25.
They're burning like crazy. Twenty-two percent.
Lost you, 25.
My O2's down to five minutes.
If you're going to do something, now's the perfect time.
Hang in there, Molly.
Nineteen percent fuel, Trace. Dropping fast.
That goes below 15, we are screwed.
Roger that.
Oh, shit, I lost her. Please tell me you have her, Dennis.
No joy here.
Molly, where are you?
Same place I was. Goddamn flashlight battery ran out.
Oh, my God.
Tell me that we are not going to lose Molly Cobb to a dead flashlight battery.
Gordo, tell 25 to turn on their rendezvous beacon.
Trace, light yourself up.
Hell yeah.
Rendezvous beacon on.
All right, Molly. You see us now?
Got you. Two pulses, minus-Y.
Roger that.
I still can't see, Molly.
Jesus Christ, trust me.
One more pulse, minus-Y, and that'll bring you around to me.
Roger that.
You took your sweet-ass time.
Welcome back.
Okay, Trace, you're close enough to blow off orbital mechanics.
Just drive right up, throw her in the back seat.
Roger, Gordo.
Thank you.
Well, it was all you, babe.
Not bad for a rookie.
Okay. Well done, people.
But we still have another ship in trouble.
Apollo 24, this is Houston. Do you read?
Apollo 24, Houston.
Flight, just got the trajectory projection for Apollo 24.
Still no telemetry. So we don't know if they're dead or alive.
Are they still on track for the moon?
They'll miss by a thousand miles.
Apollo 24, this is Houston. Do you read?
Apollo 24, Houston.
Apollo 24, this is Houston. Do you read?
Apollo 24, come in.
Who might that be?
Fuller Brush man? Avon lady?
What's the matter there, Ivan?
Your rover break down or something? I wonder how that happened.
Not enough O2 to walk back to base, huh? Well, that sucks.
Now you come in peace, do you?
Well, in that case, come on in.
You wanna come on in, Ivan?
Well, come on in.