Space Buddies 2009

The film opens with Buddha, voiced by [Field Cate], and his owner Sam, [Nolan Gould], gazing at the night sky. A shooting star streaks across the heavens, and Sam makes a simple wish: to touch the Moon.

The next day brings a school field trip to Vision Enterprises to watch a test launch of the Vision 1 spacecraft. The pets are not allowed to go, so Buddha invites his siblings—Rosebud, [Liliana Mumy], Budderball, [Josh Flitter], B-Dawg, [Skyler Gisondo], and Mudbud, [Henry Hodges]—to join the adventure. The noisy line between curiosity and rule-breaking nudges them to sneak aboard the school bus headed for Vision Enterprises.

Inside the facility, the dogs sneak into a space-suit machine, suit up, and tailgate the students as they are led by Dr. Finkel, [Kevin Weisman], toward the shuttle. The group boards the Space Shuttle Vision 1, and from Mission Control, Pi, [Bill Fagerbakke], confirms they’re ready for launch. Astro Spalding, voiced by [Ali Hillis], pilots the shuttle from Earth as the dogs explore the sleek craft and settle into their unlikely mission.

A startling hiccup emerges: the third tank of gas was never filled. With ten hours of life-support left, the humans scramble for a fix. The decision is made to steer the shuttle toward the old Russian Research Space Station—the RRSS—to refuel. A connection is established with Yuri, the cosmonaut living aboard the station, [Diedrich Bader], and a plan forms. The dogs slip into the station’s corridors and meet Spudnick, a dog under Yuri’s care, [Jason Earles], who becomes their ally as they navigate the unfamiliar maze of metal and fuel lines. Yuri’s insistence on staying in space clashes with the pups’ need to return home, and a tense standoff unfolds until Spudnick helps free them from Yuri’s trap in the station’s kitchen. The fuel hose is compromised, sparks fly, and a chaotic explosion erupts as the team and Spudnick scramble to safety. Yuri escapes in a Cosmopod, and Vision 1 pulls away from the doomed station.

Vision 1 journeys toward the Moon. Upon arrival, the crew disembarks and discovers their helmets produce soft barks on the broadcast feed, unintentionally revealing that the crew are golden retriever puppies to Mission Control. Gravity, a ferret who serves as their mission-control assistant, lends a calm, practical voice to the unfolding events—Gravity is voiced by [Amy Sedaris]—and the team is directed to return to the shuttle.

Back on Earth, the return path is sabotaged by Dr. Finkel. The autopilot goes haywire, weaving through a meteor shower as the Vision 1’s antenna is damaged. Budderball volunteers for a dangerous space walk to repair the antenna, while Sam accuses Dr. Finkel of tampering with the route. A quick security check confirms Finkel’s presence at the control desk at 7:49 p.m., and he is taken away to answer for his actions. The tension eases as the crew steadies the ship and hails Yuri’s distress signal, which prompts a timely Cosmopod rescue.

The mission ends with Pi recognizing the dogs as true heroes, awarding them wings and the title “Space Buddies.” Back at home, Buddha presents Sam with a Moon rock—an emblem of the wish fulfilled. Spudnick returns to his old owner Sasha, and the film closes on a note of friendship and perseverance, underscored by the sentiment that “it is the journey and friendship that matters the most.”