Four men passed over by the space program get one last chance to be heroes and live out their dreams. Frank Corvin, Hawk Hawkins, Jerry O'Neill, and Tank Sullivan were top Air Force pilots fast tracked to becoming the first Americans in space in 1958. However, their dream ended when NASA was created. Corvin went to become an aerospace engineer, Hawkins continued as a freelance pilot, O'Neill became an astrophysicist with a side in designing roller coasters, and Sullivan took up preaching as a Baptist minister. Years later, a Russian satellite's guidance system has malfunctioned and is expected to crash into Earth within weeks. The system is identical to one Corvin designed for Skylab, so he is asked to help the emergency mission to repair the satellite. Corvin agrees under one condition -- that he be sent up to do the repairs himself, with Hawkins, O'Neill, and Sullivan as his crew.
