The Reluctant Astronaut 1967

Roy Fleming is a 35-year-old fairground operator who runs a kiddie-spaceship ride in Sweetwater, Missouri. He still lives with his parents and carries a crippling case of acrophobia, a fear that has shadowed him for years. His Buck Fleming, a World War I veteran and a steady if stern presence, wants something better for his son and goes so far as to send an application to NASA in the hope of opening doors Roy hasn’t managed to knock on himself. Roy later discovers from his mother that NASA has accepted him as a “WB-1074,” a designation that sounds grand but, unbeknownst to the Flemings, turns out to be a janitorial job rather than the astronaut’s role they expect.

When Roy Fleming reaches the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, the harsh reality of his assignment hits—he’s far from becoming a heroic pilot, and he struggles to explain the misunderstanding to a family that believes he is an active astronaut. There, he befriends a seasoned astronaut, Major Fred Gifford, whose friendship becomes a lifeline in a world where careers are built on reputation and bravado. Buck and his old friends make a surprise visit to Houston, and Roy, in a bid to please his domineering father, slips into Gifford’s space suit to impersonate an astronaut. The ruse collapses spectacularly as Roy wreaks havoc with NASA’s equipment, and his dream job evaporates in an instant, leaving Buck returning to Missouri embarrassed and disappointed.

As global rivals push to demonstrate supremacy, the Russians announce a bold plan to send an untrained civilian into space within 48 hours. NASA scrambles to counter with its own mission, a race that could redefine national pride. Gifford sees a potential solution in Roy and locates him in a local bar, offering a second chance despite Roy’s crippling fear of heights. Though Roy remains hesitant, he agrees to give the mission a try, and the launch is surprisingly successful, sparking national jubilation. News broadcasts reach Roy’s family—and his girlfriend, Ellie Ellie Jackson—sharing the triumph with people who have believed in him all along. Buck, meanwhile, remains convinced that Roy’s “janitorial job” was really a cover for security needs, a misunderstanding that lingers in his mind.

Trouble surfaces during some eating experiments conducted aboard the craft when a prankish accident—peanut butter slipping into the guidance system—puts the mission in jeopardy of being marooned in space. In a moment that echoes his amusement-park past, Roy remembers the retro rockets speech from his role as “Mr. Spaceman” and must improvise to save the day. He fires the retro rockets, bringing the capsule home safely as planned, and the mission is deemed a success. Back on solid ground, Roy is hailed as a national hero and begins a new chapter by marrying Ellie, whose support has been constant through every twist of fate.

The newlyweds’ honeymoon plans take off on a plane busy with possibility, but, true to his nature, Roy cannot quite shake the fear that has followed him since childhood. As the aircraft ascends from Sweetwater, he hides in the surrounding bushes, anxious about flying, even as Ellie radiates excitement for their future together. The image of a man who faced the void of space yet still grapples with a personal fear lingers, ending on a note of hopeful tension: a quiet reminder that bravery isn’t the absence of fear, but the will to move forward in spite of it.