The Right Stuff Page #8

and the first wave of nuclear power.

And this generation does not intend...

to founder in the backwash...

of the coming age of space.

We mean to be a part of it.

We mean to lead it.

You know, I always hated flying.

When I met you, you were already a pilot,

so I never had a complaint coming.

When you went up in those planes,

me and the kids...

We never had any insurance

except a couple months' pay.

I always hated all that talk

about insurance.

The government spends

all kinds of time and money...

teaching pilots how to be fearless.

But they don't spend a penny

teaching you how to be...

the fearless wife of a test pilot.

But I guess I liked it.

I guess I liked the kind of man who could...

push the outside of the envelope.

Flyboy.

But I never could stand a man

who was one of those "remember-whens."

Those bitter guys that just sit around

thinking about old times.

If I ever see that happen...

I'm going right out the front door.

And you'll never catch me.

I'm a fearless man,

but I'm scared to death of you.

No, you're not.

But you ought to be.

What is it?

The Russians have sent Titov up.

Titov's up.

How long?

A day.

A day? A whole day?

He's orbiting over our country right now.

We need a man in orbit or it's all over.

We're scrapping the Redstone

and going with the Atlas.

You know what that means.

We haven't had too much luck

with that rocket.

We can't take all the precautions we'd like.

- It'll be dangerous.

- We're ready.

I said it'll be dangerous.

- I said we're ready. 100 percent.

- Thank you.

Inside this trim,

modest suburban home is Annie Glenn...

wife of Astronaut John Glenn...

sharing the anxiety and pride

of the world at this tense moment...

but in a private and crucial way

that only she can understand.

The Vice President would like

to see Mrs. Glenn.

He's asking for you again.

Tell them no.

I'm sorry, she says no.

You don't understand. It is very important.

The Vice President must see her.

We are told after the mission's success...

the Vice President will come here

and speak with Annie Glenn.

Meanwhile, John Glenn waits

for the weather to clear...

so he can undertake this historic mission.

You know what the Russians want?

They want our peckers in their pockets.

She still says no.

Didn't you tell her I'll bring in ABC-TV...

NBC-TV, CBS-TV?

Her words, and mine,

will be heard by millions.

Where are they going?

I think the flight's been cancelled.

Cancelled?

That's perfect.

I will go in and console her

on nationwide TV.

I'll pay her a sympathy call.

The Vice President would like to make

a sympathy call if he could.

- No? What do you mean, "No"?

- I mean, "No."

What do you mean, "No"?

Somebody get NASA on the line.

I'm going to lean on NASA.

I'm going right to the top!

- To the top.

- Damn right!

They better tell her to play ball!

There's a problem with your wife.

- Is it serious?

- We think it is.

There's a phone hookup,

we've got her on it.

It's me. Are you all right?

What's wrong?

Johnson...

wants... me...

on T... V.

The Vice President?

Tell her to let him in with the networks.

It's coverage.

It's important, John.

It means a lot.

Listen to me.

If you don't want the Vice President...

or the networks,

or anyone else in our house, that's it!

As far as I'm concerned,

they are not coming in!

And I will back you up 100 percent,

and you tell them that!

I don't want Johnson or the others

to even put a toe in our house.

You tell them that Astronaut John Glenn

told you to say that.

I'll talk to you soon.

You can't do that!

The Vice President's head of the program!

You must think of the program!

You are out of line!

- I'm out of line?

- Yes, sir!

I run the show here.

We'll see about that!

And I'm thinking of changing

the order of flight assignments!

Who will you get?

You heard what he said.

Take it easy, fellows.

Step aside, pal.

Pilots!

Pansies! Cows!

Gladiolas!

Isn't there anybody

who can deal with a housewife?

Waltzing Matilda,

I thought Hank Williams wrote it.

We don't know who wrote it.

It's Australian, right?

Who are you guys?

We're aborigines.

Who are you?

Me?

I'm an astronaut.

Well, what do you do here, Astronaut?

I'm here because a buddy of mine

is getting ready to...

fly overhead. Up in outer space.

And I'll be talking to him on that dish.

Fly over?

You blokes do that, too?

You do that yourself?

Not me, mate.

See that old bloke there?

He know.

He know the moon.

He know the star.

And he know the Milky Way.

He'll give you a hand.

He know.

We're gonna need all the help we can get.

Stand by for final ten-second count.

The clock is operating.

We're underway!

Good Lord, ride all the way.

Godspeed, John Glenn.

Zero-g, and I feel fine.

The capsule is turning around.

The view is tremendous!

I can see clear back,

a big cloud pattern, towards the Cape.

It's a beautiful sight!

Roger, Friendship 7.

You have a go, at least seven orbits.

Roger, Al. Understand,

go at least seven orbits.

This is Friendship 7.

Speed is 17,500 miles per hour...

and we're moving into night.

Full moon rising.

I can almost touch it.

Friendship 7, come in. Do you read?

Friendship 7, come in, please.

This sure was a short day.

Say again, please. Over.

That was the shortest day I've run into.

Kind of passes rapidly, huh?

Yes, sir.

I can see some lights down there

in Australia, Gordo.

Where are they from?

All of Perth and Rockingham

have turned their lights on for you.

And we have a few other lights turned on,

here and there.

They show up very well.

Thank everybody for turning them on,

will you?

We sure will, John. We sure will.

Heading towards daybreak.

Lot of cloud coverage today.

Man, it's beautiful.

Possibly it's the heat shield.

It's loose.

If it comes off...

If the heat shield comes off, he'll burn up.

He'll fry when he tries to re-enter.

Muchea, this is Cape.

We're showing some trouble.

We've got a warning light.

Possibly a loose heat shield.

Check your status lights immediately.

He's coming.

John, can you hear me?

Friendship 7, come in, please.

Try something. Anything.

Friendship 7, come in.

This is Friendship 7. Do you read me?

Wait a second.

I see something strange out here.

Oh! My goodness, what the heck is that?

Sparks and needles of some kind

all over the sky!

Hey, let me tell you what I'm in up here.

I'm in a mass of very small particles...

that are brilliantly lit up.

Like they're luminescent.

I never saw anything like it.

A shower of them coming by me now.

They're bright yellow.

They swirl around the capsule...

and they're brilliantly lighted.

Do you think they could be alive?

It sounds ridiculous,

but they look like fireflies or something.

Maybe some Air Force experiment

went amuck.

Could our astronomers have been wrong?

Hello, CapCom, do you read me?

This is miraculous!

Could it be those fireflies,

or whatever they are?

Of course not. Fireflies?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes