RocketMan

NASA detects a glitch in the Mars mission navigation software and traces it to the original programmer, Fred Z. Randall. Fred meets flight director Paul Wick, commander William 'Wild Bill' Overbeck, and computer specialist Gary Hackman. Fred analyzes the code and confirms that Gary made a mathematical error that could jeopardize the mission. After a tense confrontation, Gary is injured by a model of the Pilgrim 1 lander, and NASA decides to replace him rather than delay the mission.

Fred undergoes a grueling series of exercises and unexpectedly breaks every record Overbeck had set. His performance convinces NASA to recruit him for the Mars mission. The panel confirms him as part of the Aries crew.

Fred is brought to NASA to prove he has what it takes to be an astronaut and pass the selection process. He survives the rigorous selection and earns a spot on the Aries crew. The moment marks his transition from programmer to astronaut.

Bud Nesbitt explains the legend of three commemorative coins President Johnson gave to Armstrong and Lovell. He suggests the coins might bring luck, giving Fred a nod of courage. The scene foreshadows the morale boost the crew will lean on during the mission.

The crew boards the Aries for Mars, including Overbeck, Julie Ford, and Ulysses the chimpanzee. They set course to Mars with the goal of searching for fossils on the Martian surface. The journey marks the beginning of the mission's risky phase.

NASA plans for eight months of hypersleep to conserve resources while the ship travels to Mars. Ulysses intentionally takes Fred's hypersleep chamber, leaving Fred to sleep only 13 minutes and then stay awake for the entire eight-month journey. Fred faces an isolated, grueling endurance test as he wakes early and must manage alone for most of the trip.

While reviewing Mars weather data, Fred detects severe sandstorms that could endanger the landing site and crew. He contacts Bud in Houston with the forecast and urges action, but Wick dismisses his warning. The tension between Fred's caution and the leadership's willingness to proceed grows.

The crew lands the Pilgrim on the Martian surface. Overbeck is ready to step first, but Fred slips and lands first, uttering the line 'It Wasn't Me!' The moment cements Fred's accidental heroism and humor.

A day after landing, sandstorms arrive ahead of schedule. The crew narrowly avoids disaster as storms threaten Overbeck and Ulysses. The team fights to salvage the mission while resources and morale are stretched.

Wick's leadership falters and Bud replaces him, reflecting trust issues within NASA's chain of command. The lander Pilgrim 1 endures a rock strike that knocks out power and sends it spinning. Fred must act quickly to diagnose and fix the system.

With less than 20 seconds to spare, Fred creates a makeshift reboot by shoving a commemorative coin into a critical slot and restoring power. The maneuver averts a crash and saves the crew. The moment solidifies Fred's status as a resourceful, if eccentric, astronaut.

Aboard Aries in Martian orbit, Fred asks Julie to dance with him in zero gravity to The Blue Danube. Julie wears a gold dress made from space blankets Fred cut up during his sleep-pod fiasco. The dance is a light-hearted victory after their harrowing mission.

As the crew prepares for hypersleep, Ulysses once again takes Fred's chamber. Fred yells in anguish as the eight-month journey back to Earth begins, leaving him to face the long solo period. The bond between crew members and the chimpanzee is strained in the closing moments.

In a post-credits scene, the Martian flag is shown missing its flagpole and Fred's flag boxers, used as a stand-in earlier, have been stolen and worn by a Martian. The humorous ending punctuates the mission's human, imperfect triumph.