Movies - Space Cowboys

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	Movies - Space Cowboys

Space Cowboys is a 2000 film by Clint Eastwood, released by Warner Bros., about four aged ex-pilots who are being sent into space to repair an old satellite.

Plot Summary

A Russian communications satellite is about to fail, and NASA agrees to assist. They discover that the onboard systems are so archaic that no-one at NASA can understand them, and they ask a retired engineer, Dr. Corvin, who designed the original systems from which the satellite has been copied (as we later learn, actually stolen by the KGB), to help them, despite the many years of animosity between the engineer, whose planned trip into space was cancelled 40 years ago, and the Project Director Bob Gerson.

He insists that he and his three former colleagues, all former Air Force engineers and ace pilots, and now retired, accompany him into space. With no options open to him, the Director agrees. At first Gereson intends to string Corvin and his friends along until younger astronauts are up to speed on the system. But the press soon learns of the situation, and the four men become celeberities - even appearing on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. They are so popular that Gerson is forced to send them into space by the Vice President of the United States. During medical tests on Corvin and his friends, it is found that 'Hawk' has terminal pancreatic cancer, and has a life expectancy of about eight months. Even though this would normally have disqualified Hawk, due to the special nature of the mission he is sent anyways.

The mission goes ahead with two crews, old and new, working together, but when they capture the satellite, it's discovered that it's not intended for communications, but is in fact a relic of the Cold War, carrying nuclear missiles. The crew, realzing they have a real problem on their hands, contact NASA for advice. It's decided then to use the payload assist rockets the ship is carrying to push the satellite out of Earth orbit and into deep space.

But then Ethan takes it upon himself to try to repair the satellite as originally called for, moving it back into a stable orbit. But when he connects the satellite to a payload assist module to the satellite's power supply, it activates several systems on the satellite. The satellite collides with the shuttle, causing extensive damage throughout the ship. Ethan dies due to injuries sustained when the satellite activated, and the satellite begins falling out of orbit. Roger is also seriously injured during the collision, leaving Corvin, O'Neill, Hawkings, and Sullivan as the only functional crew members on the shuttle.

Corvin and Hawkins manage to use a PAM rocket to stablize the satellite. 'Hawk' launches a suicidal mission to propel the satellite away from Earth and towards the Moon. Once he's sure that the rockets couldn't hit Earth, he releases them to drift forever in deep space.

In Flight Control, Davis learns that the shuttle is extensively damaged. The shuttle's computers are non-responsive, most of the propulsion systems are damaged and the only functional one is leaking fuel. NASA controllers decide to have the crew bring the shuttle into the lower atmosphere as close to NASA as possible, abandon the ship, and allow the shuttle to crash in the Atlantic ocean. (See Space Shuttle abort modes). Corvin however is able to pilot the shuttle all the way into NASA, and land the shuttle on the runway despite all the damage.

The movie ends with Corvin and his wife Barbara looking at the moon from their home. Barbara wonders if Hawk made it to the moon - something that Corvin is sure of. It's then shown that Hawk actually manages to bring his rocket to the surface of the moon in a controlled landing - the culmination of his life's dream - and died a short distance away; sitting against a boulder and eternally looking back towards the Earth.

Cast

Clint Eastwood
.... Dr. Frank Corvin
Tommy Lee Jones
.... Col. William 'Hawk' Hawkins
Donald Sutherland
.... Jerry O'Neill
James Garner
.... Reverend 'Tank' Sullivan
James Cromwell
.... Bob Gerson
Marcia Gay Harden
.... Sara Holland
William Devane
.... Eugene 'Gene' Davis
Loren Dean
.... Ethan Glance
Courtney B. Vance
.... Roger Hines
Rade Serbedzija .... General Vostow
Barbara Babcock
.... Mrs. Barbara Corvin
Blair Brown
.... Dr. Anne Caruthers
Jay Leno
.... Himself

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Space Cowboys ]

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