Space Camp

A starry-eyed young girl gazes longingly into the night sky in the hopes of catching John Glenn’s launch into orbit...

...After perceiving his afterburners as a wink at her from the heavens, she vows to go up herself someday.

Fast forward to a now adult woman – Andie Bergstrom – ace pilot and hopeful astronaut lamenting NASA passing her over once again for the shuttle team. Her astronaut husband Zack is rather grateful of this: It means that he’ll have her assistance this summer at Space Camp, a prospect she’s less than thrilled about.

Her campers: Young hotshot pilot wannabe Katherine, “slacker with potential” Kevin, “a bit slow on the uptake but trying really hard” Rudy, scatter-brained genius Tish and junior camper Max. After a very bumpy beginning (Max nearly causes the crash of an expensive maintenance droid, Katherine and Kevin get caught breaking curfew and the entire crew is “killed” in a flight simulator when they display complete lack of teamwork), they are thrilled when they find that they will be allowed to sit in the actual space shuttle Atlantis during a booster test. One problem: Max has wished aloud to be sent into space within earshot of the malfunctioning maintenance droid Jinx – and Jinx has made all the necessary arrangements.

That’s the plot. Jinx causes a malfunction of the boosters that forces them into actual launch and Andie must coach her crew into becoming a solid team if they are to make it home safely, which of course, she does, even after an accident disables Andie from landing the craft.