GUEST: NASA Chief Historian Bill Barry

Link to NASA History Office

“Ignition. Lift off. Lift off,” says the television announcer.

“Yakety Yak” starts playing on the soundtrack.

The Vanguard TV-3 rocket lifts up briefly, then settles back on the launch pad and explodes.

Homer, saddened, continues to compose his letter to Dr. von Braun: “I’m writing to offer my condolences to you and your team on your recent attempt to launch the Vanguard rocket. I also had a disastrous occurrence during the launch of my small rocket.”

Homer looks at comic books and magazines in the company store, looking for rocketry information.

“Since here in Coalwood everyone’s much more interested in what’s down below the earth than what’s above it, there isn’t a whole lot of material to be found on the subject of rocketry,” writes Homer in the letter.

Homer looks at the only rocketry book in the library: Jules Verne’s “From the Earth to the Moon.”

“So I’ve been kind of stumbling around in the dark,” Homer looks through a card catalog, then spots Quentin, sitting at a study table.

In the cafeteria, Roy Lee and O’Dell advise Homer about talking to Quentin.

“You can’t be seen with him, Homer,” Roy Lee says.”He’s a weirdo. You go ahead – – but you can kiss your social life good-bye.”

In This Episode

• Jake Gyllenhall as Homer Hickam
• William Lee Scott as Roy Lee
• Chris Owen as Quentin
• Chad Lindberg as O'Dell