Tom Wolfe's book on the U.S. Space program has a novel-like quality, which is replicated in the film. It chronicles the breaking of the sound barrier by Chuck Yeager and the Mercury 7 astronauts, highlighting the confusion surrounding the program's early days and the selection process for astronauts.
The Right Stuff
The early years of the US space program featured a striking contrast between the bold approaches of test pilots and the more cautious methods of engineers as they worked to break the sound barrier and select the first astronauts, including the Mercury 7.
