The Six Million Dollar Man (1974) s01e08 Episode Script
The Rescue of Athena One
1 CAPCOM:Athena One, this is Mission Control.
You are go for the correction burn in minus-10.
Roger, Mission Control, this is Athena One, standing by.
Roger, minus-five, four, three two, one, burn.
Athena One, Mission Control confirm burn completed.
Roger, Mission Control.
Woods, you're flying like you expect the automatic systems to work.
You're not allowing for outside contingencies and you gotta be ready to go to manual control at anytime.
STEVE:Athena One, Houston.
Ready for the docking maneuvers when you are.
Roger, Steve, how close are you to the docking vehicle? Estimate four miles.
Roger, One.
All systems are go for docking.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
We're going in.
Your ball, Major.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) STEVE: Two degrees yaw.
Too much.
Bring it back.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) She's starting to pitch! Bring it back hard! (HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) STEVE: No, no! Not that way! (DEVICE BEEPING) STEVE: No, not that way! (ALARM SOUNDING) (ALARM, BEEPING CONTINUE) Congratulations, Athena.
You're the first victim of gimbal lock.
In case you don't know what gimbal lock is, Major Wood you have just rendered this capsule so it has no compass, no reference in space, this is-- STEVE: Where do you think you're going? Steve, what's going on, do you need any help? I said, where do you think you're going, Major? Out, Colonel, sir.
Look, you run into trouble up there, you canât walk away from it.
Now get back in that capsule, and we'll run it again.
We've been at this for six hours.
Look, I don't make up the program, lady.
I've just been asked to help you.
And I didnât want to do that.
Now, if you don't mind we'll get back in that capsule and we'll work on it again.
Yes, sir.
CAPCOM: Steve, you got a problem? Yeah.
How do I get fired off this job? FLIGHT COM: It looks good at NASA One.
B-52 PILOT: Roger.
BCS Arm switch is on.
FLIGHT COM: Okay, Victor.
B-52 PILOT: Landing Rocket Arm switch is on.
Here comes the throttle.
Circuit breakers in.
STEVE: We have separation.
B-52 PILOT: Inboard and outboards are on.
I'm comin' forward with the side stick.
FLIGHT COM: Looks good.
PILOT:Ah, Roger.
STEVE: I've got a blowout in damper three.
SR-71 PILOT: Get your pitch to zero.
STEVE: Pitch is out.
I can't hold altitude! B-52 PILOT: Correction.
Alpha Hold is off.
Threat selector is emergency.
STEVE: Flight Com, I can't hold it! She's breaking up! She's breaking-- ANNOUNCER: Steve Austin.
Astronaut.
A man barely alive.
We can rebuild him.
We have the technology.
We can make him better than he was.
Better, stronger, faster.
(MAIN TITLE THEME) OSCAR: No, Steve, no, you can not walk out.
Washington requested that you be Flight Dynamics Officer on this mission.
Besides, you've only got a week more to go.
That's too long by seven days.
Look, Oscar, I'm not the only astronaut qualified to be FIDO on this project.
And NASA could assign one of the other-- No deal.
The eyes of the world are on this mission.
This is the first flight of an American woman in space and its mission is to find additional sources of energy.
Now we can't afford to have anything go wrong.
Do you understand that? So I'm stuck here.
Is that what you're saying? That's right.
If youâve got any problems, talk to the Flight Director.
If Major Woods can't cut it, there are backup pilots that can take her place.
But I want you to ride it out, is that clear? Yeah.
Thanks a heap.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) Hey, Steve, how are you? Well, the colonel seems to have a lot of friends in the offices here, too.
Major, in case you don't remember I did spend some time at the Center here a couple of years ago.
Oh, I do remember.
Look, we don't have to get along.
As far as I'm concerned, all you have to do is check out perfectly in that simulator.
Then you're on your own.
Very good, Colonel.
Major, there's one other thing.
We have to make this TV appearance tonight.
How about a truce for the sake of the mission? You do your job.
I'll do minesir.
MAN: Stand-by, Jules.
Tonight, we're bringing you a special pre-launch news program from the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
With me in our studio are Major Kelly Wood and Colonel Steve Austin.
Steve, it's good to see you again.
Good to have you back with us again.
Thank you, Jules.
Major, you'll be the first American woman to fly in space.
It's been a long decade of waiting and training a long decade getting ready for this mission.
Yes, it has been.
My co-pilot, Major Osterman, had to go to the Cape or he would have been here with me.
Major, how do you feel about the fact that you'll be flying with a male astronaut? Every American astronaut to date has been a man.
I suppose women will just have to make their own mark but I do think we could have gone with two women on this orbital flight.
Two women, Steve, do you have any opinion on that? Well, there's no doubt that women check out as good as men on the ground and I'm sure they'll be fine in space.
But, that's not the problem.
What is then? This is a dangerous business weâre in.
We all know that and we live with it every day, every time one of us goes up.
We don't want to lose anybody up there, Jules, especially not a woman.
You know, Steve, that's the first time I've ever heard you express concern about the possibility of an accident.
BERGMAN: Most astronauts wonât even admit that possibility.
Have you considered the possibility of an accident, Kelly? Yes, there's always that possibility.
Thank you both.
Good show.
Steve, good seeing you again.
Thank you, Jules.
Kelly, good luck.
Good flight.
Thank you.
Well, that wasn't so bad, was it? No, but the best part was seeing the other side of Colonel Steve Austin.
Major, I don't know if you understand it or not but when I'm rough on you in that simulator it has nothing to do with you personally.
I know that.
(DRAMATIC SOUND EFFECT) Come on.
Are you all right? Yeah, I'm fine.
STAGEHAND: Hey, you okay down there? Yeah, you missed us a mile.
Steve, those lights weigh a ton.
They do? And you caught it with one arm.
How? Two hands are for beginners.
Sorry, Colonel, you don't get off that easy.
You heard about the crash I had a while back? Yes.
It was a lot worse than the press releases said it was.
Rudy Wells was the chief surgeon on the project well, I was the project.
When it was over, I was a little better than before.
Come on.
STEVE: I'll get that.
(HEAVY DOOR CREAKING) You can open doors for me anytime.
BERGMAN: Just another space flight? Not quite the eyes of the entire world are on this flight, the flight of Athena One.
A revived Apollo mission designed to help discover new sources of energy here on Earth.
The focus of attention, of course, is on the command capsule piloted by Major Kelly Wood, the first American woman in space but the second surprise is the presence of Colonel Steve Austin as Flight Dynamics Officer, in effect, the chief pilot on the ground.
It marks the first return of Colonel Austin to the Johnson Space Center since 1972 when he was the last American to walk on the moon.
Mission Control now advises we are one minute to launch and counting all going well.
Guido? Looking good for me.
Fido? Go.
Retro? It's good here.
Surgeon? Good.
GNC? Good.
INCO? Good.
Alright, we have go on all systems.
Capcom, it's all yours.
Athena One, you are go for launch.
T-minus 20 seconds and counting.
The spacecraft is on internal power.
All systems are go for the launch of Athena One.
We're minus ten seconds and counting.
CAPCOM: Eight, seven Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Ignition.
CAPCOM: Liftoff.
We have lift off confirmed at exactly 20 minutes past the hour.
Go, Kelly.
(BLISSFUL MUSIC) CAPCOM: This is Houston at 52 minutes.
The station at Canarvon is about to acquire Athena One.
We'll stand by live for this pass, Athena.
Roger, Houston.
Great day for a ride.
CAPCOM: We promised you blue skies, Kelly.
We deliver.
We'd like to copy the alignment results now if we could.
Roger.
I have Noun 71.
Check star 34.
Over.
Roger, Athena.
We copy you, we have Noun 7-- (LOUD BANG) (ALARM SOUNDING) CAPCOM: Kelly, this is Houston.
I thought we heard a bang.
Do you copy? CAPCOM: Athena One, this is Houston.
Do you copy? (ALARM CONTINUES) I'll say again, Athena One, this is Houston, do you copy? KELLY:Athena One, Houston.
We have a problem.
Roger, Athena One.
I thought we heard a bang.
Can you confirm? Confirmed.
We had a small explosion on the port side.
KELLY: Some of the fragments hit Paul, he's unconscious.
Any damage to the capsule? Kelly, this is Houston.
CAPCOM: Can you give us a damage report, please? We've lost our standby inboard computer.
All other systems seem to be go.
Internal integrity is fine but I have no way to scan external damages right now.
What about Osterman? Kelly, how is Paul? Where was he hit? In the neck and in the chest but I have no way to tell how bad because of these suits.
Punch in, Doctor.
Kelly, this is Dr.
Wolf.
I want you to give Osterman direct oxygen and 100 milligrams of meperldine.
Roger, Houston.
Copy that.
BERGMAN: It has now been slightly more than two hours since the first confirmation of the explosion aboard Athena One.
Latest reports from Mission Control are that the spacecraft continues to be maneuverable and that astronaut Paul Osterman is unconscious but resting comfortably.
But, here in Houston, insiders are buzzing that a daring plan has been cooked up for the use of Skylab itself as a rescue station in orbit.
An orbital island where Athena One can dock and then await help and possible rescue from another spacecraft.
Okay, plug in, Steve.
Athena One, this is Houston.
KELLY: Roger, Houston.
Steve, is that you? Roger, Athena One.
Good to hear your voice again, Teacher.
Well, it's good to be here, Kelly.
Especially now that we have an answer for you.
The Cape is preparing a rescue rocket.
The back-up pilot will take it up with the flight surgeon and all necessary medical supplies you'll need for Osterman.
I'll meet you at Skylab.
Roger, Houston.
I'm on my way as soon as you can give me the numbers.
Kelly, this is Mission Control.
We'd like you to naw to 0-9-0.
KELLY: Roger, Houston.
KELLY: Houston, this is Athena.
I have Skylab in sight now.
STEVE: Copying you 5-by Athena.
CAPCOM: On the ground telemetry confirms.
Estimate docking in 20 seconds at the mark.
Mark.
KELLY: Copy that, Houston.
40 yards and closing.
You're looking good.
Easy now, Kelly.
You got it.
KELLY: 40 feet and counting.
30 Houston, Athena One.
We have docked.
Proceeding now to enter Skylab.
(AIR HISSES) (BANGING ON DOOR) (AIR HISSES) KELLY: Houston, the hatch is jammed.
Say again, please? KELLY: The hatch wonât open.
The explosion must have jammed it shut.
Stand-by, Athena.
Kelly, this is Steve again.
Hello, Teach.
Gonna say I told you so? Not yet.
Did you try to blow the hatch with the emergency system? I tried everything but a can opener.
KELLY: Want to bring me one? Kelly, speaking of can openers do you remember the one I used to open that stage door with? (CHIMES) Yeah.
Think, Kelly.
Is there any chance I can get that hatch open the same way? Steve, I think that's the only chance we have.
(RADIO CHATTER) BERGMAN: In a surprise development late tonight Colonel Steve Austin, who has not ventured into space since his walk on the moon in January, 1972 has been named commander of the rescue mission that'll be launched to rendezvous at Skylab with the crippled Athena One spacecraft.
Named to go with Austin was Dr.
Richard Wolf who may become the first man to perform an operation in space.
Steve! I'll see you in the gentry.
Washington approved my staying in Mission Control in case you need anything.
Thanks, Oscar, and for getting them to let me go.
I'm not so sure about this, Steve.
You might be compromising our secret.
Would you trade our secret for Kelly Woods' life? Good luck.
Oscar don't look so sad, you'll be hearing from me.
CAPCOM: T-minus 27 seconds and counting.
All recorders and assilagraphs to fast.
Barney, you're a start.
BARNEY: Okay, Capcom.
One Alpha confirms gyro switches to direct and pass switches on.
CAPCOM: Roger, Bill, I copy that.
Ah, that completes all of our control checks.
Okay with you? BARNEY: Roger, Capcom.
Everything here is looking good.
CAPCOM: Athena One, this is Houston Control.
We are go for launch.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
Minus 10 seconds and counting.
Minus five, four three, two, one.
Ignition.
Lift-off, we have lift-off.
STEVE: Okay, thanks.
(BLISSFUL MUSIC) STEVE: Houston, this is Athena Rescue.
I have Skylab in sight now, Iâm starting my pitch for the docking approach.
CAPCOM: Roger, copy that, Rescue.
Confirm, we have Skylab in sight.
CAPCOM: Estimate distance is 3,000 and closing.
Roger, Houston, we copy.
STEVE:Athena One, this is Athena Rescue.
We'll be docking in approximately one minute.
Roger, Athena Rescue.
Weâre waiting.
CAPCOM: Okay for pass.
Correction.
Alpha hold is off, Rescue.
Trim selectors slipping.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
Going forward on the alternate trim.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) CAPCOM: Much better, Rescue.
Looking good for docking.
It's all yours.
STEVE: Thank you, Houston.
We're closing now.
30 feet and easing our way in.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) STEVE: 20 feet.
CAPCOM: Roger, Rescue.
10 feet.
Five, four, three, two.
Houston, this is Rescue.
We are docked.
STEVE: I'll proceed to checkout the other capsule.
We copy, Rescue.
STEVE: Sit tight, Doc.
Let's hope I can get that hatch to work from the Skylab side.
I'll let you know as soon as I make it through the lab section.
STEVE: Houston, this is Rescue.
I'm entering Skylab first stage now.
CAPCOM: Roger, Rescue.
Standing by.
(EERIE MUSIC) STEVE: Opening first hatch now, Houston.
CAPCOM: Roger, Rescue.
We copy.
(METAL CREAKING) STEVE: It's starting to give.
Standby, Kelly.
STEVE: One can opener present and accounted for, Major.
CAPCOM: OhRoger, Skylab.
Confirm Doc is checking out Osterman and you are now two cells powered up for operation.
Is that affirmative? STEVE: Affirmative, Houston.
Powering up cells three and four now.
Ahstand by, Houston.
CAPCOM: Roger, Skylab.
Houston control standing by.
The Neprodine kept him out of shock.
We'll operate as soon as you can power up the lab.
That may not be so easy to do, judging from the readout.
One of the solar panels must be damaged.
I'll have to go out and fix it before we get anything near maximum power in here.
I'll need your help on the walk.
Go ahead, I can prep him myself.
STEVE: Houston, this is Skylab.
Kelly and I are starting for the solar panels now.
CAPCOM: Roger, Steve.
Let us know if we can help.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
You've got a deal.
(EERIE MUSIC) STEVE: Houston, this is Steve.
I'm at the solar flaps now.
CAPCOM: Copy that, Skylab.
Can you give us a reading.
STEVE: Roger.
Number three reflecting panel is loose, Houston.
CAPCOM: Anyway of fixing it, Steve? STEVE: AhRoger, Houston.
I think so.
Weâll see.
(WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) Steve? (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) Is anything wrong? STEVE: Nonothingit's nothing.
BARNEY: Roger, Skylab.
Whatever you did, you did right.
Read-out indicates Skylab up to full power for operation.
STEVE: Roger, Houston, we copy.
The Doc's starting the operation now.
CAPCOM: Roger, Steve.
We understand.
Senior Flight Surgeon wants to know how serious it is.
Osterman took two pieces of metal in his chest.
One's no problem minor surgery.
The other, that's the problem.
It's lodged beside the aorta.
If he wasnât in zero-G's, it probably would've severed the artery already.
CAPCOM: Well, can the Doc remove the fragment? Well, he has to.
There's no way Osterman can survive re-entry if we leave it where it is.
CAPCOM: Roger, Skylab.
We have specialists standing by to assist.
Roger, Houston.
Thank you.
Taking a long time.
Mr.
Goldman, in this business, anything good takes a long time.
(WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) Need some suction here.
Okay, that's good.
Clamp.
(WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) WOLF: Clamp! Okay, let's get it out of there.
WOLF: Forceps.
(WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) (BIONIC SOUND EFFEC SLOWING DOWN) Steve, what is it? Are you all right? It's nothing.
I'm okay.
Kelly, I need you here.
(SLOW BIONIC SOUND EFFECT) KELLY: SteveSteve? Steve? (EERIE MUSIC) (CONTEMPLATIVE MUSIC) Feel like talking? Sure.
Pull up a chair.
Don't worry.
They've put us to bed for the night.
Steve, what's the problem? You can't help me.
I'm still a nurse.
I might be able to tell you something you don't know.
My left eye is blurry.
My arm and Legs are weak, too, but that comes and goes.
It might have been the radiation.
You were out there quite a while working on the solar panel.
I checked out that suit myself.
It was perfect.
Maybe you're right.
Maybe that suit can't protect me.
Where do you think you're going now? Somebody has to inspect the damage to your Athena One capsule.
You can't go back out there, not after admitting you have a problem.
I didn't admit anything.
I said maybe.
Steve, I can't let you go.
Kelly, me Colonel, you Major, remember? All right, all right.
What's going on? Jim, I don't know.
We sent them to bed and then the next thing all the readouts on Austin just went right through the roof here.
(EERIE MUSIC) (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) Look, his blood pressure, his pulse rate, his respiration, well, everything.
Get him on the line.
That's the problem.
We can't.
Not until they switch us on.
STEVE: Houston, this is Skylab.
Anybody awake down there? Skylab, this is Houston.
We read you five by.
Can I talk with him? Here.
Here's your mic.
Press this to talk.
Okay.
Steve? Steve, this is Oscar.
What are you doing, throwing a wild party up there? Oscar, you know if I threw a party, youâd be invited.
Kelly and I just went for a little walk, that's all.
A walk? What kind of a walk? Just a little stroll around Athena One.
She's ripped up pretty bad.
The port side and the heat shield are both ruptured.
How will they get down? Donât be such a ray of sunshine, Oscar.
Your microphoneâs still on.
I'll jury-rig Rescue One to carry us all four back.
It won't be easy but I'll take everything useful out of Athena One and put it in Rescue.
Skylab, this is Houston control, look it might be better if you wait until we can put together another rescue mission down here.
Negative, Houston.
That's the new wrinkle.
Doc says Osterman needs hospital facilities as soon as he can get 'em.
Say now, the silence down there tells me our friendly Flight Director isn't too thrilled with my idea.
FLIGHT DIRECTOR: You read me loud and clear, Steve.
You say youâve got to bring Osterman back tomorrow but you know thereâs no way we can build a new re-entry program in less than four days.
Well, I guess that means manual re-entry.
You bet it does! In a capsule designed to carry three people, not four! I can't buy that.
Roger.
But you used your stand-by rocket to get us up here.
How long before you can build another one, Jim? You always were a good FIDO Officer, Steve.
Too good.
Okay, we do it your way.
FLIGHT DIRECTOR: I'll wake up the guys and we'll run a quick trim and balance check and we'll get you as many numbers as we can.
Thanks, Jim.
In the meantime, have somebody hold Oscar's hand.
He tends to get a little nervous under pressure.
Skylab out.
He-- Gentlemen, let's get to work.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) How's it going? (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) (METAL CREAKING) I'm ready whenever you are, Major.
Roger, Skylab.
All right, we're standing by to read the next set of figures.
I copy that, Houston.
New noun 24Check star 47.
Over.
CAPCOM: Roger, Skylab.
That's the program.
I'm sorry we canât be more help to you.
It's a big help just knowing you're there, Houston.
Stand by.
Osterman's in place, Doc Wolfâs with him.
He could use an extra hand.
Houston, this is Steve.
Oscar Goldman there by any chance? Yeah, I think I can dig him up for you here.
Stand-by.
Thank you.
Hello, Steve! How's it going up there? We're as ready as we'll ever be.
Good.
The bookmakers are having a field day down here.
Yeah, but don't tell me.
Big numbers with lots of zeros make me dizzy.
You'll beat the odds, don't worry.
I'm not worried, Oscar, but there's something you should tell Rudy Wells.
What's that? Well, it's a little malfunction.
Nothing l can't live with.
Something like that little problem we had in California last year.
Remember? Yeah, you mean when we thought that you may not be able to pitch again? Yeah, well, you know how it is playing ball in the Mexican League.
The altitude sort of gets to your arm and Legs.
Skylab, this is Flight.
Say again about that minor malfunction.
Relax, Flight, Oscar and I were just talking about the good old days.
They just don't build things like they used to, right, Oscar? That's right, Steve.
Is there anything we can do? No, Oscar, just wanted you to know.
Besides, when the big-time pitcher loses his stuff the team always has a good relief pitcher waiting, right? And I've got the best in the world up here with me.
That's right.
Good luck.
Thanks, Oscar.
(OMINOUS MUSIC) What were you trying to say? I think you know.
I can't trust myself, Kelly.
But, I thought you said-- It doesn't matter what I said.
Look, there are four of us up here.
You're the only one who can bring us home.
Steve.
I'm not ready, this is a full manual re-entry.
There's no computer program.
The ship's not balanced.
It's never been done before.
That doesn't matter, either.
You're gonna do it.
You are the pilot.
If I took hold of that control and my hand started to shake we'd all be dead.
I could make that same mistake.
No, you won't.
Steve, you don't know that.
Yes, I do.
Remember, I'm the guy who taught you.
(EERIE MUSIC) Now, the four astronauts are jammed into the tiny Athena Rescue capsule they must do what has never been done before.
Bring an out-of-balance capsule manually through a tiny window in space back to the safety of the Earth.
The entire mission is in the hands of the pilot.
They cannot miss this window by more than a fraction of a degree.
If theyâre too shallow they'll bounce off into space without the power to return.
If they're too steep they'll become a fireball in the Earth's atmosphere and burn up.
He's doing just fine.
See you at splashdown.
Checklist complete.
Ready? Ready.
Houston, this is Athena Rescue.
We are ready for separation burn.
Roger, Athena Rescue.
You are go for the separation burn.
It's all yours, pilot.
Roger.
Houston, we're ready for burn.
In minus five, four, three two, one.
Burn.
(EERIE MUSIC) CAPCOM: Athena Rescue, this is Houston.
We have sep confirmation.
KELLY: Roger, Houston, we're saying goodbye to Skylab.
STEVE: Houston, this is Rescue.
We are clear of Skylab and ready for the re-entry program.
CAPCOM: Roger, Rescue.
Stand-by.
STEVE: Houston, Athena Rescue.
We're coming right down the pike to the approach corridor.
Roger, Rescue.
Your coordinates for splashdown are 13 degrees, 19 minutes north 169 degrees, 10 minutes west.
You've got good weather there.
2,000 scattered, 8,000 scattered with ten-mile visibility.
Wind is about 080 at 18 knots.
We copy.
Where's the Kitty Hawk? The Kitty Hawk's about 50 miles out and coming on hard.
Roger, Houston.
Sounds good.
We try to please.
CAPCOM: Okay, Rescue, Command Module RSC is looking good to us.
Your weather is holding in the splash-down area.
You're approaching the mark for separation and retrofire.
Stand-by.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
We copy.
CAPCOM: We see you're getting ready for SEP.
Everything is looking good here.
Roger, Houston.
Looks good for us.
CAPCON: We are awaiting confirmation of separation.
We have confirmation of separation from on-the-ground telemetry.
CAPCOM: You're still looking good.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
Ready for retrofire and re-entry whenever you are.
CAPCOM: You are go for re-entry, Rescue.
We copy, Houston.
You're still looking good.
CAPCOM: Rescue, this is Houston.
Coming up on the mark for your retrofire.
Stand-by with thrusters to assume re-entry attitude.
KELLY: Roger, Houston, thrusters ready.
We are standing by.
CAPCOM: Rescue, this is Houston.
Coming up on the mark.
STEVE: No, no, not yet.
Take your time, Kelly.
Take your time.
CAPCOM: Standby.
In five, four, three, two, one Retrofire.
(ROCKET FIRES) (HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) Rescue, this is Houston.
We confirm retrofire.
Youâll be entering Blackout in 20 seconds.
Roger, Houston.
We'll talk to you as soon as we breakthrough.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) Thatta girl.
STEVE: Houston, this is Rescue.
We're coming up on loss of signal.
We'll talk to you in three minutes if weâre-- (STATIC) What, three minutes of blackout? Yeah, yeah.
(HELICOPTER HOVERING) All right, don't over handle it.
STEVE: Bring it back.
Careful.
Not too far over.
Bring it back.
Altitude? 700 nautical miles.
Velocity 36,230 feet per second.
STEVE: Bring it back! It's getting hot in here? This pitching is causing the heat shield to move around.
Now, Kelly, you must maintain this attitude, or-- I knowI know.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) It's over two minutes.
(HELICOPTER HOVERING) Four minutes.
Where are they? (RADIO STATIC) (GARBLED CHATTER) This is Mission Control, Athena One, you're breaking up.
You're breaking up.
Just advise when you release the mains.
(STATIC) (HELICOPTER HOVERING) KITTY HAWK:Athena Rescue, this is Kitty Hawk, do you read? Over.
(STATIC) KITTY HAWK: Athena Rescue, I say again.
This is Kitty Hawk.
Rescue, we are receiving no transmissions, but I show you on the drogues.
Do you read? Over.
The mains.
Where are the mains? KITTY HAWK: Houston, this is Kitty Hawk.
We have no voice contact with Rescue at this time, but Wait a minute.
Houston, this is Kitty Hawk.
We have main chutes in sight.
Repeat.
We have main chutes in sight.
(ALL CHEERING) (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC) Rescue, this is Kitty Hawk.
Your main chutes are full out! Thank you, Kitty Hawk.
We can see them and they look great.
KELLY: Five hundred feetfourthree twoonefifty feet.
Nice ride, Major.
I flew this thing the way my teacher taught me.
(EERIE MUSIC) Well, Oscar, what did you do, stop by to give me the bad news personally? What bad news? As soon as you're ready, we've got a jet standing by to take us to Colorado.
For repairs? Rudy says you'll be as good as new in two weeks.
Yeah, just a little pit stop, huh? You don't sound too thrilled about it.
You know, I'd forgotten how beautiful it was, Oscar.
Or maybe I didn't forget, I just willed myself not to remember.
Space.
STEVE: It is the final frontier.
And I can't go.
Always underestimating us, Steve.
I got a letter from Rudy.
He says that heâs worked out a way to attach additional protective material to your bionic limbs.
Sort of an added layer of skin, you won't even know it's there.
So if you want to, you can go back.
Or if you have to go back.
Am I interrupting? Not at all.
I was just leaving.
See you outside? How are you? I'm fine.
Lying to a nurse and a fellow pilot is a violation of the rules.
But when you are fine, I know a place in Houston that serves a really fantastic dinner.
Reasonable, too.
Where's this restaurant? My place.
Well, I've never had dinner with a pretty astronaut before.
I might like that.
(END THEME MUSIC)
You are go for the correction burn in minus-10.
Roger, Mission Control, this is Athena One, standing by.
Roger, minus-five, four, three two, one, burn.
Athena One, Mission Control confirm burn completed.
Roger, Mission Control.
Woods, you're flying like you expect the automatic systems to work.
You're not allowing for outside contingencies and you gotta be ready to go to manual control at anytime.
STEVE:Athena One, Houston.
Ready for the docking maneuvers when you are.
Roger, Steve, how close are you to the docking vehicle? Estimate four miles.
Roger, One.
All systems are go for docking.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
We're going in.
Your ball, Major.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) STEVE: Two degrees yaw.
Too much.
Bring it back.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) She's starting to pitch! Bring it back hard! (HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) STEVE: No, no! Not that way! (DEVICE BEEPING) STEVE: No, not that way! (ALARM SOUNDING) (ALARM, BEEPING CONTINUE) Congratulations, Athena.
You're the first victim of gimbal lock.
In case you don't know what gimbal lock is, Major Wood you have just rendered this capsule so it has no compass, no reference in space, this is-- STEVE: Where do you think you're going? Steve, what's going on, do you need any help? I said, where do you think you're going, Major? Out, Colonel, sir.
Look, you run into trouble up there, you canât walk away from it.
Now get back in that capsule, and we'll run it again.
We've been at this for six hours.
Look, I don't make up the program, lady.
I've just been asked to help you.
And I didnât want to do that.
Now, if you don't mind we'll get back in that capsule and we'll work on it again.
Yes, sir.
CAPCOM: Steve, you got a problem? Yeah.
How do I get fired off this job? FLIGHT COM: It looks good at NASA One.
B-52 PILOT: Roger.
BCS Arm switch is on.
FLIGHT COM: Okay, Victor.
B-52 PILOT: Landing Rocket Arm switch is on.
Here comes the throttle.
Circuit breakers in.
STEVE: We have separation.
B-52 PILOT: Inboard and outboards are on.
I'm comin' forward with the side stick.
FLIGHT COM: Looks good.
PILOT:Ah, Roger.
STEVE: I've got a blowout in damper three.
SR-71 PILOT: Get your pitch to zero.
STEVE: Pitch is out.
I can't hold altitude! B-52 PILOT: Correction.
Alpha Hold is off.
Threat selector is emergency.
STEVE: Flight Com, I can't hold it! She's breaking up! She's breaking-- ANNOUNCER: Steve Austin.
Astronaut.
A man barely alive.
We can rebuild him.
We have the technology.
We can make him better than he was.
Better, stronger, faster.
(MAIN TITLE THEME) OSCAR: No, Steve, no, you can not walk out.
Washington requested that you be Flight Dynamics Officer on this mission.
Besides, you've only got a week more to go.
That's too long by seven days.
Look, Oscar, I'm not the only astronaut qualified to be FIDO on this project.
And NASA could assign one of the other-- No deal.
The eyes of the world are on this mission.
This is the first flight of an American woman in space and its mission is to find additional sources of energy.
Now we can't afford to have anything go wrong.
Do you understand that? So I'm stuck here.
Is that what you're saying? That's right.
If youâve got any problems, talk to the Flight Director.
If Major Woods can't cut it, there are backup pilots that can take her place.
But I want you to ride it out, is that clear? Yeah.
Thanks a heap.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) Hey, Steve, how are you? Well, the colonel seems to have a lot of friends in the offices here, too.
Major, in case you don't remember I did spend some time at the Center here a couple of years ago.
Oh, I do remember.
Look, we don't have to get along.
As far as I'm concerned, all you have to do is check out perfectly in that simulator.
Then you're on your own.
Very good, Colonel.
Major, there's one other thing.
We have to make this TV appearance tonight.
How about a truce for the sake of the mission? You do your job.
I'll do minesir.
MAN: Stand-by, Jules.
Tonight, we're bringing you a special pre-launch news program from the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
With me in our studio are Major Kelly Wood and Colonel Steve Austin.
Steve, it's good to see you again.
Good to have you back with us again.
Thank you, Jules.
Major, you'll be the first American woman to fly in space.
It's been a long decade of waiting and training a long decade getting ready for this mission.
Yes, it has been.
My co-pilot, Major Osterman, had to go to the Cape or he would have been here with me.
Major, how do you feel about the fact that you'll be flying with a male astronaut? Every American astronaut to date has been a man.
I suppose women will just have to make their own mark but I do think we could have gone with two women on this orbital flight.
Two women, Steve, do you have any opinion on that? Well, there's no doubt that women check out as good as men on the ground and I'm sure they'll be fine in space.
But, that's not the problem.
What is then? This is a dangerous business weâre in.
We all know that and we live with it every day, every time one of us goes up.
We don't want to lose anybody up there, Jules, especially not a woman.
You know, Steve, that's the first time I've ever heard you express concern about the possibility of an accident.
BERGMAN: Most astronauts wonât even admit that possibility.
Have you considered the possibility of an accident, Kelly? Yes, there's always that possibility.
Thank you both.
Good show.
Steve, good seeing you again.
Thank you, Jules.
Kelly, good luck.
Good flight.
Thank you.
Well, that wasn't so bad, was it? No, but the best part was seeing the other side of Colonel Steve Austin.
Major, I don't know if you understand it or not but when I'm rough on you in that simulator it has nothing to do with you personally.
I know that.
(DRAMATIC SOUND EFFECT) Come on.
Are you all right? Yeah, I'm fine.
STAGEHAND: Hey, you okay down there? Yeah, you missed us a mile.
Steve, those lights weigh a ton.
They do? And you caught it with one arm.
How? Two hands are for beginners.
Sorry, Colonel, you don't get off that easy.
You heard about the crash I had a while back? Yes.
It was a lot worse than the press releases said it was.
Rudy Wells was the chief surgeon on the project well, I was the project.
When it was over, I was a little better than before.
Come on.
STEVE: I'll get that.
(HEAVY DOOR CREAKING) You can open doors for me anytime.
BERGMAN: Just another space flight? Not quite the eyes of the entire world are on this flight, the flight of Athena One.
A revived Apollo mission designed to help discover new sources of energy here on Earth.
The focus of attention, of course, is on the command capsule piloted by Major Kelly Wood, the first American woman in space but the second surprise is the presence of Colonel Steve Austin as Flight Dynamics Officer, in effect, the chief pilot on the ground.
It marks the first return of Colonel Austin to the Johnson Space Center since 1972 when he was the last American to walk on the moon.
Mission Control now advises we are one minute to launch and counting all going well.
Guido? Looking good for me.
Fido? Go.
Retro? It's good here.
Surgeon? Good.
GNC? Good.
INCO? Good.
Alright, we have go on all systems.
Capcom, it's all yours.
Athena One, you are go for launch.
T-minus 20 seconds and counting.
The spacecraft is on internal power.
All systems are go for the launch of Athena One.
We're minus ten seconds and counting.
CAPCOM: Eight, seven Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Ignition.
CAPCOM: Liftoff.
We have lift off confirmed at exactly 20 minutes past the hour.
Go, Kelly.
(BLISSFUL MUSIC) CAPCOM: This is Houston at 52 minutes.
The station at Canarvon is about to acquire Athena One.
We'll stand by live for this pass, Athena.
Roger, Houston.
Great day for a ride.
CAPCOM: We promised you blue skies, Kelly.
We deliver.
We'd like to copy the alignment results now if we could.
Roger.
I have Noun 71.
Check star 34.
Over.
Roger, Athena.
We copy you, we have Noun 7-- (LOUD BANG) (ALARM SOUNDING) CAPCOM: Kelly, this is Houston.
I thought we heard a bang.
Do you copy? CAPCOM: Athena One, this is Houston.
Do you copy? (ALARM CONTINUES) I'll say again, Athena One, this is Houston, do you copy? KELLY:Athena One, Houston.
We have a problem.
Roger, Athena One.
I thought we heard a bang.
Can you confirm? Confirmed.
We had a small explosion on the port side.
KELLY: Some of the fragments hit Paul, he's unconscious.
Any damage to the capsule? Kelly, this is Houston.
CAPCOM: Can you give us a damage report, please? We've lost our standby inboard computer.
All other systems seem to be go.
Internal integrity is fine but I have no way to scan external damages right now.
What about Osterman? Kelly, how is Paul? Where was he hit? In the neck and in the chest but I have no way to tell how bad because of these suits.
Punch in, Doctor.
Kelly, this is Dr.
Wolf.
I want you to give Osterman direct oxygen and 100 milligrams of meperldine.
Roger, Houston.
Copy that.
BERGMAN: It has now been slightly more than two hours since the first confirmation of the explosion aboard Athena One.
Latest reports from Mission Control are that the spacecraft continues to be maneuverable and that astronaut Paul Osterman is unconscious but resting comfortably.
But, here in Houston, insiders are buzzing that a daring plan has been cooked up for the use of Skylab itself as a rescue station in orbit.
An orbital island where Athena One can dock and then await help and possible rescue from another spacecraft.
Okay, plug in, Steve.
Athena One, this is Houston.
KELLY: Roger, Houston.
Steve, is that you? Roger, Athena One.
Good to hear your voice again, Teacher.
Well, it's good to be here, Kelly.
Especially now that we have an answer for you.
The Cape is preparing a rescue rocket.
The back-up pilot will take it up with the flight surgeon and all necessary medical supplies you'll need for Osterman.
I'll meet you at Skylab.
Roger, Houston.
I'm on my way as soon as you can give me the numbers.
Kelly, this is Mission Control.
We'd like you to naw to 0-9-0.
KELLY: Roger, Houston.
KELLY: Houston, this is Athena.
I have Skylab in sight now.
STEVE: Copying you 5-by Athena.
CAPCOM: On the ground telemetry confirms.
Estimate docking in 20 seconds at the mark.
Mark.
KELLY: Copy that, Houston.
40 yards and closing.
You're looking good.
Easy now, Kelly.
You got it.
KELLY: 40 feet and counting.
30 Houston, Athena One.
We have docked.
Proceeding now to enter Skylab.
(AIR HISSES) (BANGING ON DOOR) (AIR HISSES) KELLY: Houston, the hatch is jammed.
Say again, please? KELLY: The hatch wonât open.
The explosion must have jammed it shut.
Stand-by, Athena.
Kelly, this is Steve again.
Hello, Teach.
Gonna say I told you so? Not yet.
Did you try to blow the hatch with the emergency system? I tried everything but a can opener.
KELLY: Want to bring me one? Kelly, speaking of can openers do you remember the one I used to open that stage door with? (CHIMES) Yeah.
Think, Kelly.
Is there any chance I can get that hatch open the same way? Steve, I think that's the only chance we have.
(RADIO CHATTER) BERGMAN: In a surprise development late tonight Colonel Steve Austin, who has not ventured into space since his walk on the moon in January, 1972 has been named commander of the rescue mission that'll be launched to rendezvous at Skylab with the crippled Athena One spacecraft.
Named to go with Austin was Dr.
Richard Wolf who may become the first man to perform an operation in space.
Steve! I'll see you in the gentry.
Washington approved my staying in Mission Control in case you need anything.
Thanks, Oscar, and for getting them to let me go.
I'm not so sure about this, Steve.
You might be compromising our secret.
Would you trade our secret for Kelly Woods' life? Good luck.
Oscar don't look so sad, you'll be hearing from me.
CAPCOM: T-minus 27 seconds and counting.
All recorders and assilagraphs to fast.
Barney, you're a start.
BARNEY: Okay, Capcom.
One Alpha confirms gyro switches to direct and pass switches on.
CAPCOM: Roger, Bill, I copy that.
Ah, that completes all of our control checks.
Okay with you? BARNEY: Roger, Capcom.
Everything here is looking good.
CAPCOM: Athena One, this is Houston Control.
We are go for launch.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
Minus 10 seconds and counting.
Minus five, four three, two, one.
Ignition.
Lift-off, we have lift-off.
STEVE: Okay, thanks.
(BLISSFUL MUSIC) STEVE: Houston, this is Athena Rescue.
I have Skylab in sight now, Iâm starting my pitch for the docking approach.
CAPCOM: Roger, copy that, Rescue.
Confirm, we have Skylab in sight.
CAPCOM: Estimate distance is 3,000 and closing.
Roger, Houston, we copy.
STEVE:Athena One, this is Athena Rescue.
We'll be docking in approximately one minute.
Roger, Athena Rescue.
Weâre waiting.
CAPCOM: Okay for pass.
Correction.
Alpha hold is off, Rescue.
Trim selectors slipping.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
Going forward on the alternate trim.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) CAPCOM: Much better, Rescue.
Looking good for docking.
It's all yours.
STEVE: Thank you, Houston.
We're closing now.
30 feet and easing our way in.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) STEVE: 20 feet.
CAPCOM: Roger, Rescue.
10 feet.
Five, four, three, two.
Houston, this is Rescue.
We are docked.
STEVE: I'll proceed to checkout the other capsule.
We copy, Rescue.
STEVE: Sit tight, Doc.
Let's hope I can get that hatch to work from the Skylab side.
I'll let you know as soon as I make it through the lab section.
STEVE: Houston, this is Rescue.
I'm entering Skylab first stage now.
CAPCOM: Roger, Rescue.
Standing by.
(EERIE MUSIC) STEVE: Opening first hatch now, Houston.
CAPCOM: Roger, Rescue.
We copy.
(METAL CREAKING) STEVE: It's starting to give.
Standby, Kelly.
STEVE: One can opener present and accounted for, Major.
CAPCOM: OhRoger, Skylab.
Confirm Doc is checking out Osterman and you are now two cells powered up for operation.
Is that affirmative? STEVE: Affirmative, Houston.
Powering up cells three and four now.
Ahstand by, Houston.
CAPCOM: Roger, Skylab.
Houston control standing by.
The Neprodine kept him out of shock.
We'll operate as soon as you can power up the lab.
That may not be so easy to do, judging from the readout.
One of the solar panels must be damaged.
I'll have to go out and fix it before we get anything near maximum power in here.
I'll need your help on the walk.
Go ahead, I can prep him myself.
STEVE: Houston, this is Skylab.
Kelly and I are starting for the solar panels now.
CAPCOM: Roger, Steve.
Let us know if we can help.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
You've got a deal.
(EERIE MUSIC) STEVE: Houston, this is Steve.
I'm at the solar flaps now.
CAPCOM: Copy that, Skylab.
Can you give us a reading.
STEVE: Roger.
Number three reflecting panel is loose, Houston.
CAPCOM: Anyway of fixing it, Steve? STEVE: AhRoger, Houston.
I think so.
Weâll see.
(WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) Steve? (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) Is anything wrong? STEVE: Nonothingit's nothing.
BARNEY: Roger, Skylab.
Whatever you did, you did right.
Read-out indicates Skylab up to full power for operation.
STEVE: Roger, Houston, we copy.
The Doc's starting the operation now.
CAPCOM: Roger, Steve.
We understand.
Senior Flight Surgeon wants to know how serious it is.
Osterman took two pieces of metal in his chest.
One's no problem minor surgery.
The other, that's the problem.
It's lodged beside the aorta.
If he wasnât in zero-G's, it probably would've severed the artery already.
CAPCOM: Well, can the Doc remove the fragment? Well, he has to.
There's no way Osterman can survive re-entry if we leave it where it is.
CAPCOM: Roger, Skylab.
We have specialists standing by to assist.
Roger, Houston.
Thank you.
Taking a long time.
Mr.
Goldman, in this business, anything good takes a long time.
(WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) Need some suction here.
Okay, that's good.
Clamp.
(WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) WOLF: Clamp! Okay, let's get it out of there.
WOLF: Forceps.
(WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) (BIONIC SOUND EFFEC SLOWING DOWN) Steve, what is it? Are you all right? It's nothing.
I'm okay.
Kelly, I need you here.
(SLOW BIONIC SOUND EFFECT) KELLY: SteveSteve? Steve? (EERIE MUSIC) (CONTEMPLATIVE MUSIC) Feel like talking? Sure.
Pull up a chair.
Don't worry.
They've put us to bed for the night.
Steve, what's the problem? You can't help me.
I'm still a nurse.
I might be able to tell you something you don't know.
My left eye is blurry.
My arm and Legs are weak, too, but that comes and goes.
It might have been the radiation.
You were out there quite a while working on the solar panel.
I checked out that suit myself.
It was perfect.
Maybe you're right.
Maybe that suit can't protect me.
Where do you think you're going now? Somebody has to inspect the damage to your Athena One capsule.
You can't go back out there, not after admitting you have a problem.
I didn't admit anything.
I said maybe.
Steve, I can't let you go.
Kelly, me Colonel, you Major, remember? All right, all right.
What's going on? Jim, I don't know.
We sent them to bed and then the next thing all the readouts on Austin just went right through the roof here.
(EERIE MUSIC) (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) Look, his blood pressure, his pulse rate, his respiration, well, everything.
Get him on the line.
That's the problem.
We can't.
Not until they switch us on.
STEVE: Houston, this is Skylab.
Anybody awake down there? Skylab, this is Houston.
We read you five by.
Can I talk with him? Here.
Here's your mic.
Press this to talk.
Okay.
Steve? Steve, this is Oscar.
What are you doing, throwing a wild party up there? Oscar, you know if I threw a party, youâd be invited.
Kelly and I just went for a little walk, that's all.
A walk? What kind of a walk? Just a little stroll around Athena One.
She's ripped up pretty bad.
The port side and the heat shield are both ruptured.
How will they get down? Donât be such a ray of sunshine, Oscar.
Your microphoneâs still on.
I'll jury-rig Rescue One to carry us all four back.
It won't be easy but I'll take everything useful out of Athena One and put it in Rescue.
Skylab, this is Houston control, look it might be better if you wait until we can put together another rescue mission down here.
Negative, Houston.
That's the new wrinkle.
Doc says Osterman needs hospital facilities as soon as he can get 'em.
Say now, the silence down there tells me our friendly Flight Director isn't too thrilled with my idea.
FLIGHT DIRECTOR: You read me loud and clear, Steve.
You say youâve got to bring Osterman back tomorrow but you know thereâs no way we can build a new re-entry program in less than four days.
Well, I guess that means manual re-entry.
You bet it does! In a capsule designed to carry three people, not four! I can't buy that.
Roger.
But you used your stand-by rocket to get us up here.
How long before you can build another one, Jim? You always were a good FIDO Officer, Steve.
Too good.
Okay, we do it your way.
FLIGHT DIRECTOR: I'll wake up the guys and we'll run a quick trim and balance check and we'll get you as many numbers as we can.
Thanks, Jim.
In the meantime, have somebody hold Oscar's hand.
He tends to get a little nervous under pressure.
Skylab out.
He-- Gentlemen, let's get to work.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) How's it going? (WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT) (METAL CREAKING) I'm ready whenever you are, Major.
Roger, Skylab.
All right, we're standing by to read the next set of figures.
I copy that, Houston.
New noun 24Check star 47.
Over.
CAPCOM: Roger, Skylab.
That's the program.
I'm sorry we canât be more help to you.
It's a big help just knowing you're there, Houston.
Stand by.
Osterman's in place, Doc Wolfâs with him.
He could use an extra hand.
Houston, this is Steve.
Oscar Goldman there by any chance? Yeah, I think I can dig him up for you here.
Stand-by.
Thank you.
Hello, Steve! How's it going up there? We're as ready as we'll ever be.
Good.
The bookmakers are having a field day down here.
Yeah, but don't tell me.
Big numbers with lots of zeros make me dizzy.
You'll beat the odds, don't worry.
I'm not worried, Oscar, but there's something you should tell Rudy Wells.
What's that? Well, it's a little malfunction.
Nothing l can't live with.
Something like that little problem we had in California last year.
Remember? Yeah, you mean when we thought that you may not be able to pitch again? Yeah, well, you know how it is playing ball in the Mexican League.
The altitude sort of gets to your arm and Legs.
Skylab, this is Flight.
Say again about that minor malfunction.
Relax, Flight, Oscar and I were just talking about the good old days.
They just don't build things like they used to, right, Oscar? That's right, Steve.
Is there anything we can do? No, Oscar, just wanted you to know.
Besides, when the big-time pitcher loses his stuff the team always has a good relief pitcher waiting, right? And I've got the best in the world up here with me.
That's right.
Good luck.
Thanks, Oscar.
(OMINOUS MUSIC) What were you trying to say? I think you know.
I can't trust myself, Kelly.
But, I thought you said-- It doesn't matter what I said.
Look, there are four of us up here.
You're the only one who can bring us home.
Steve.
I'm not ready, this is a full manual re-entry.
There's no computer program.
The ship's not balanced.
It's never been done before.
That doesn't matter, either.
You're gonna do it.
You are the pilot.
If I took hold of that control and my hand started to shake we'd all be dead.
I could make that same mistake.
No, you won't.
Steve, you don't know that.
Yes, I do.
Remember, I'm the guy who taught you.
(EERIE MUSIC) Now, the four astronauts are jammed into the tiny Athena Rescue capsule they must do what has never been done before.
Bring an out-of-balance capsule manually through a tiny window in space back to the safety of the Earth.
The entire mission is in the hands of the pilot.
They cannot miss this window by more than a fraction of a degree.
If theyâre too shallow they'll bounce off into space without the power to return.
If they're too steep they'll become a fireball in the Earth's atmosphere and burn up.
He's doing just fine.
See you at splashdown.
Checklist complete.
Ready? Ready.
Houston, this is Athena Rescue.
We are ready for separation burn.
Roger, Athena Rescue.
You are go for the separation burn.
It's all yours, pilot.
Roger.
Houston, we're ready for burn.
In minus five, four, three two, one.
Burn.
(EERIE MUSIC) CAPCOM: Athena Rescue, this is Houston.
We have sep confirmation.
KELLY: Roger, Houston, we're saying goodbye to Skylab.
STEVE: Houston, this is Rescue.
We are clear of Skylab and ready for the re-entry program.
CAPCOM: Roger, Rescue.
Stand-by.
STEVE: Houston, Athena Rescue.
We're coming right down the pike to the approach corridor.
Roger, Rescue.
Your coordinates for splashdown are 13 degrees, 19 minutes north 169 degrees, 10 minutes west.
You've got good weather there.
2,000 scattered, 8,000 scattered with ten-mile visibility.
Wind is about 080 at 18 knots.
We copy.
Where's the Kitty Hawk? The Kitty Hawk's about 50 miles out and coming on hard.
Roger, Houston.
Sounds good.
We try to please.
CAPCOM: Okay, Rescue, Command Module RSC is looking good to us.
Your weather is holding in the splash-down area.
You're approaching the mark for separation and retrofire.
Stand-by.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
We copy.
CAPCOM: We see you're getting ready for SEP.
Everything is looking good here.
Roger, Houston.
Looks good for us.
CAPCON: We are awaiting confirmation of separation.
We have confirmation of separation from on-the-ground telemetry.
CAPCOM: You're still looking good.
STEVE: Roger, Houston.
Ready for retrofire and re-entry whenever you are.
CAPCOM: You are go for re-entry, Rescue.
We copy, Houston.
You're still looking good.
CAPCOM: Rescue, this is Houston.
Coming up on the mark for your retrofire.
Stand-by with thrusters to assume re-entry attitude.
KELLY: Roger, Houston, thrusters ready.
We are standing by.
CAPCOM: Rescue, this is Houston.
Coming up on the mark.
STEVE: No, no, not yet.
Take your time, Kelly.
Take your time.
CAPCOM: Standby.
In five, four, three, two, one Retrofire.
(ROCKET FIRES) (HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) Rescue, this is Houston.
We confirm retrofire.
Youâll be entering Blackout in 20 seconds.
Roger, Houston.
We'll talk to you as soon as we breakthrough.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) Thatta girl.
STEVE: Houston, this is Rescue.
We're coming up on loss of signal.
We'll talk to you in three minutes if weâre-- (STATIC) What, three minutes of blackout? Yeah, yeah.
(HELICOPTER HOVERING) All right, don't over handle it.
STEVE: Bring it back.
Careful.
Not too far over.
Bring it back.
Altitude? 700 nautical miles.
Velocity 36,230 feet per second.
STEVE: Bring it back! It's getting hot in here? This pitching is causing the heat shield to move around.
Now, Kelly, you must maintain this attitude, or-- I knowI know.
(HYDRAULIC SOUND EFFECT) It's over two minutes.
(HELICOPTER HOVERING) Four minutes.
Where are they? (RADIO STATIC) (GARBLED CHATTER) This is Mission Control, Athena One, you're breaking up.
You're breaking up.
Just advise when you release the mains.
(STATIC) (HELICOPTER HOVERING) KITTY HAWK:Athena Rescue, this is Kitty Hawk, do you read? Over.
(STATIC) KITTY HAWK: Athena Rescue, I say again.
This is Kitty Hawk.
Rescue, we are receiving no transmissions, but I show you on the drogues.
Do you read? Over.
The mains.
Where are the mains? KITTY HAWK: Houston, this is Kitty Hawk.
We have no voice contact with Rescue at this time, but Wait a minute.
Houston, this is Kitty Hawk.
We have main chutes in sight.
Repeat.
We have main chutes in sight.
(ALL CHEERING) (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC) Rescue, this is Kitty Hawk.
Your main chutes are full out! Thank you, Kitty Hawk.
We can see them and they look great.
KELLY: Five hundred feetfourthree twoonefifty feet.
Nice ride, Major.
I flew this thing the way my teacher taught me.
(EERIE MUSIC) Well, Oscar, what did you do, stop by to give me the bad news personally? What bad news? As soon as you're ready, we've got a jet standing by to take us to Colorado.
For repairs? Rudy says you'll be as good as new in two weeks.
Yeah, just a little pit stop, huh? You don't sound too thrilled about it.
You know, I'd forgotten how beautiful it was, Oscar.
Or maybe I didn't forget, I just willed myself not to remember.
Space.
STEVE: It is the final frontier.
And I can't go.
Always underestimating us, Steve.
I got a letter from Rudy.
He says that heâs worked out a way to attach additional protective material to your bionic limbs.
Sort of an added layer of skin, you won't even know it's there.
So if you want to, you can go back.
Or if you have to go back.
Am I interrupting? Not at all.
I was just leaving.
See you outside? How are you? I'm fine.
Lying to a nurse and a fellow pilot is a violation of the rules.
But when you are fine, I know a place in Houston that serves a really fantastic dinner.
Reasonable, too.
Where's this restaurant? My place.
Well, I've never had dinner with a pretty astronaut before.
I might like that.
(END THEME MUSIC)