In 1958, Frank Corvin and three other cocky and reckless young pilots lost their chance to be the first Americans in space to a chimpanzee named Mary Ann. In the year 2000, a Russian communications satellite has run into trouble and the only one who can fix it is the man repsonsible for designing its operating system -- Frank Corvin. Frank quickly contacts his three comrades from yesteryear: Tank, who has become a Baptist minister, Jerry, a rollercoaster designer with an active libido, and Hawk, an embittered daredevil pilot. Together they endure the rigors of NASA training and and prepare to become the first senior citizens thrust into space.