His family watching from mission control, Col. Edward McCauley who is commanding the first rocket into outer space must make a desperate gamble when the second stage of his rocket fails to jettison.

Senator Jim Sloane questions the need for and cost of a mission to the moon after McCauley's first effort to the moon fails and his second effort leaves a crewman seriously injured during takeoff.

When an experimental nuclear-powered missile goes out of control, its creator insists on accompanying McCauley into space to try and disarm it before it can strike the moon and wipe out a twelve-man expedition.

Two scientists who can't get along are assigned to the same space station, and McCauley has to keep the peace.

A ship tasked with retrieving a malfunctioning Venus probe runs into issues when the scientist in charge, a friend of McCauley's insists on going despite previously disobeying McCauley's orders.