The film was shot on location at Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach and Edwards AFB in cooperation with NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

During the 1960s space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, Dr. Wilhelm von Huber, a top NASA scientist, relocates to Cape Canaveral with his 12-year-old son, Billy.

Their relationship has become strained in the wake of the recent death of Billy's mother, and the ever-widening gap between father and son has become obvious.

However, Billy's life takes an exciting turn when he is hired by Dr. Donni McGuinness, the Director of Veterinary Sciences, to help train the chimpanzees for NASA space missions.

Mac's big chance to explore the farthest frontier and hurtle America ahead in the race to space might easily cost him his life.