Introduction[]
Buster lies on the living room floor and flips through the TV channels.
Farmer (on TV): If it don't rain soon, we're plumb out of luck...
Buster changes the channel.
Mary Moo Cow (on TV): “Three, three, three is fun/It's more than one or two...”
Buster changes the channel. Real life footage from the first moon landing is shown.
Buster: Wow! Hi, Mom! I found this great sci-fi movie. Have you seen it before?
Mrs. Baxter: That's not a movie. It's one of the moon landings. It really happened.
Buster: That's real?! Wow! I wonder if I'll be able to go to the moon some day.
Mrs. Baxter: I think you'd be a fantastic astronaut.
She pats him.
Buster: That's it! I know what I'm doing this summer. But first, I'll need all the money I've been saving.
***
Buster empties his Bionic Bunny piggy bank in his room. The he pulls out some bills from under his mattress. He also finds a sandwich there and bites into it.
Buster throws things out of his closet. He finds a coin inside a shoe.
In the bathroom, Buster takes money out of his rubber ducky and throws it back in the tub.
Buster walks into the kitchen where his mom is reading.
Buster: With these 16 dollars and 57 cents, I'm going to journey to a place where no Baxter has ever gone before! He leaves and comes back. Can I get a ride to the mall?
Title Card: Spaceship[]
Buster and his mom come out of “Alexi’s Hobbies”. Buster is carrying a box with a model rocket.
Buster: If I start building model rockets now, by the time I'm older I'll be able to build a real one to take me to the moon, or Mars! Hm, which one do you think has better weather?
***
Buster phones Arthur from his room while the model box stands unopened on the floor.
Buster: Come over in about an hour. I'm sure I'll be ready to launch it by then. See you, Arthur.
Buster throws the phone on the bed. Then he empties the box. Bags with lots of small parts fall out. Buster picks up the thick manual.
Buster: Okay... an hour-and-a-half, tops.
***
An hour later, Arthur comes in. Buster has spread all the parts on the carpet and is reading the manual.
Arthur: Did you launch it already? This place is a wreck.
Buster has glued a battery to his finger.
Buster: No, just give me another 15 minutes. Or...20, if I can't get this unglued from my finger.
Arthur looks at the box.
Arthur: This is a skill level five kit. Maybe you should've started with an easier one.
Buster: I bet that's what they told the astronauts. "Oh, the moon's too hard. Why don't you just go to Seattle?" But they didn't give up and neither will I.
Arthur: Well, do you at least want my help?
Buster: Nah, I'm good. There's an order to my disorder.
Arthur: Right. Well, uh... I've got to get home for dinner. Call me if you change your mind.
Buster: Okay. I'll postpone the launch until 9am tomorrow so you can see it too. But don't be late.
Arthur rolls his eyes and leaves.
***
That night, Buster sleeps surrounded by rocket parts.
Buster: (snores) His mom takes the manual out of his hands and turns off the light. (sighs)
Buster dreams that he is sitting in a rocket that takes off from the Baxters’ yard. He looks out of a window at the Earth.
Buster: Goodbye, Earth!
Buster eats floating peas.
Buster: Mmm! He sees the moon outside a window. Hey, it's the moon. We're here already. The rocket flies past the moon. I missed it! How do I turn this thing around?
He presses a few buttons and Mary Moo Cow appears on a screen.
Mary Moo Cow (on screen): (incomprehensible singing)
Buster looks panicked and presses another button. A washing machine opens and laundry floats through the cabin.
Buster’s face appears on a screen in an empty control room on Earth.
Buster: Mission Control! Come in, Mission Control! Mayday! Mayday! Is anybody there?
A mouse sits on a desk eating a piece of cheese.
Mouse: Bring back more cheese.
Buster looks out of the window.
Buster: Where is everybody? I can't do this by myself! I need help! I need lots of help!
El Boomerang floats by outside.
Buster wakes up with a start.
Buster: (pants)
***
Buster has put the parts back in the box which is now standing in the Baxters’ yard. Buster paces in front of Arthur, George, Carl, Francine and Muffy.
Buster: I've gathered you all to be a part of a very important mission. Arthur, you're calm, cool and organized. George, you're great at building things and... Wait, who's with you?
George: This is my friend, Carl. Trust me, you want him on the team. He knows a ton about rocket ships.
Carl: Multi-stage rockets use two or more stages. Each stage has its own engine and propellant. My favorite book is on rockets. I've read it 35 times.
Buster: Great, glad to have you aboard, Carl. Francine, you're a born leader. And, Muffy, you've got a really big yard that's perfect for our launch site.
Muffy: You just want me for my yard?!
Buster: Um...and your impeccable sense of style.
Muffy: Ha, that's better!
Francine: What about Brain? Shouldn't he be here?
Buster: Just because Brain is a genius, doesn't mean we should ask for his help every time something is hard. We can do this on our own, people!
Arthur: to George: He's in Texas visiting family.
Buster: He said he'd check in every now and then. Separately we're just six kids who happen to be friends, but together we're Rocket Team Buster! Now let's build this rocket!
He holds up the box.
Kids: (cheer)
Arthur and Francine have spread parts on a blanket, George and Carl work at a table and Muffy works separately while Buster reads the manual.
George: Hm?
Muffy takes George’s ruler out of his hand.
Muffy: I need that!
She takes the manual.
Buster: Huh?
Francine: Let me see that.
She takes the ruler.
George: Hey! I was in the middle of using that!
Francine: So was I. Give it back.
George: Give it...
They struggle for the ruler.
Arthur: I need that.
Arthur and Buster struggle for another piece.
Francine: Give it back!
Buster: Wait, I need that too.
Francine: I had it first.
Buster: It's mine. I had it first!
Francine: I need that!
George, Francine and Muffy all struggle for the manual while Arthur and Buster struggle for the piece. Carl keeps on working.
Buster: Stooop!! This isn't working. We need a plan...and sandwiches. I'll be right back. Mom!
***
Francine has drawn a sketch on the sidewalk with colored chalk. The other kids watch, some are eating sandwiches.
Francine: The rocket will be broken down into three parts. Arthur and Buster, you take the body. George, Carl and Muffy will handle the engine mount. And I'll do the recovery.
Muffy: The recovery? That's the part with the big parachute. I wanted to do that!
Buster: I've appointed Francine to be in charge of organizing this project. What she says goes.
Francine smiles.
Muffy: But I had plans for a big pink and saffron parachute. I had designs and everything!
Buster points to Francine.
***
Arthur and Buster work together at the table, so do George and Carl. Francine unfolds the parachute on a blanket.
George: Now it says to glue the engine mount ring into the tube where it touches the engine hook.
Muffy walks over to Francine.
Muffy: The engine stuff is boring. They won't let me decorate it.
Francine: Muffy, it's really important. Without the engine, the rocket won't get off the ground.
Muffy: But I'd be much better working on the parachute. She and Francine both pull at it. Look at it! It's so drab!
Francine: Muffy!
The parachute rips in half.
Muffy: Oh-oh-oopsy! Oh...
Francine: Grrr...
***
The kids sit in the Sugar Bowl looking sad.
George: What if we just launch the rocket without a parachute?
Carl: The rocket would fall rapidly from a height of 500 meters and shatter into thousands of pieces. It would be really hard to put back together.
Buster: And all of our work would be for nothing.
Muffy: I tried to buy you another rocket kit but that was the last one at the hobby store.
Buster: Oh, I'll never go into space. Maybe I should just...give up.
A man is eating pie at the counter.
Mike Fincke: Why would you do that? I wouldn't give up the time I've spent in space for anything in the world.
Buster: Wait, you mean...you're an astronaut?
Mike Fincke: Yes, sir. Mike Fincke's my name and I've spent over 365 days in space. For a while, I was the commander of the International Space Station. It was amazing. Of course, the pumpkin pie wasn't as good as it is here.
Buster: We were just trying to get a model rocket off the ground and we've already messed it up.
Mike Fincke: You can't let a mistake get in the way.
Flashback: Mike Fincke leaves the ISS wearing a spacesuit. In the control room, a light beside a picture of the suit flashes red.
Mike Fincke (narrator): When I was doing my very first spacewalk, I had left the spacecraft and was about to do some repairs, when, all of a sudden, I got a message from the ground crew back on Earth. There was a defect in my suit and I was losing oxygen rapidly. I only had a few minutes to get back to the ship. It was scary but I made it back.
Mike uses the safety line to pull himself back into the station.
Mike Fincke: Phew!
The flashback ends.
Mike Fincke: And you know something? We put our minds to it, fixed the problem and I was back in space in a jiffy. So don't give up. Every problem has a solution. You've just got to be willing to work together to find it.
He waves and leaves.
Kids: Bye!
Buster: Thank you.
Arthur: He's right. We can't abandon the mission.
Buster: But what's the solution?
George: What if we coat the rocket in something soft, like mashed potatoes? That way it'd be protected when it hit the ground.
He watches the waitress putting mashed potatoes on a plate.
Francine: It's a good idea. But how would the potatoes stay on the rocket?
Buster: And it would be a shame to waste something so delicious.
Muffy looks at the waitress’ neckerchief.
Muffy: Hm, it's the right size and it's perfectly stylish. I've got it! She steps over the others and runs to the waitress. Would you like to be part of our "accessories in space" program?
***
Some time later, Francine folds the neckerchief in the Baxters’ yard. The others sit at the table.
Buster: Okay, people, we've got a rocket to launch! So stay focused! Now, who needs some snacks?
Kids: I do!
They all raise their hands.
The kids work together now. Francine tries out the parachute made out of the neckerchief. Muffy paints the rocket. Eventually, it is finished. It says “Team Baxter R-1” on the side. The kids stand around it.
***
Some time later, Arthur and Buster look out of the window in the Crosswire mansion. It is raining outside. The other kids sit around looking bored.
Arthur: It's okay, Buster. We can launch the rocket some other time.
Buster: But it's the last weekend before school. I don't want summer to end with the rocket still on the ground.
Muffy: Bailey is putting a movie on for us in the home theater.
The kids leave the room, except Buster.
Arthur: Are you coming?
Buster: No. (sighs) A ray of light comes through the windows. The rain's stopped. It's time!
***
The kids stand on the front steps. There is some sunshine, but the sky is still mostly dark.
Buster: It's cleared up.
Francine: But look over there. Those are more storm clouds coming in.
Buster: So we have a small window. We have to take it. Who's with me?
Carl: It only takes seconds for the rocket to reach its peak altitude and only a few minutes for it to descend. I'm in.
He raises his hand, so do the others.
Buster: Whoo-hoo! Let's launch this baby!
***
The rocket stands on the lawn. Buster holds a remote control. The others watch. Bailey stands behind them with an umbrella.
Buster: This is it. Ten, nine...
Muffy: I hope the parachute opens.
Francine: I hope the parachute works.
Arthur: The clouds are almost here.
Carl: They're about five minutes away.
George: Now, Buster. Now!
Buster: ...one! Ignition!
He presses the launch button.
The rocket flies into the air. After a few seconds, it breaks into two parts which are connected by a cable.
Arthur: The parachute! It's not opening!
Buster: Wait for it. Wait for it... Three parachutes come out of the rocket's upper part. The rocket descends more slowly. Here it comes!
Kids: (Hooray! Woo-hoo!)
Buster: And there it goes! Who's in charge of recovery?
Francine: That's me. I completely forgot.
Francine runs after the rocket. It flies over the Crosswires’ wall. Mike Fincke is just walking down the street. He is holding a pie box and talking on a cell phone.
Mike Fincke: I'm telling you, sweetie. It's the best pie I've ever had. I'm bringing you home some. Huh? I'll call you back. He holds the box for the rocket to land on. Touchdown.
The parachutes cover his face.
***
It starts raining again. Mrs. Baxter fetches Buster at the Crosswires’ gate and holds an umbrella over him.
Mrs. Baxter: Cheer up, sweetie. At least you got it off the ground. I'm so proud of you.
Mike Fincke: Can I get an umbrella over here?
Buster: You found it!
He runs to Mike and holds his mom’s umbrella over it.
Mike Fincke: And I found you. Fortunately, there's not too many long-eared kids launching rockets around Elwood City today. I'm fine, son. Protect the pie.
He and Buster walk to Mrs. Baxter.
Buster: Mom, this is Mike Fincke. He was the commander of the International Space Station.
Mike Fincke: I'm glad to see you didn't give up. It's a very pretty parachute, too.
They walk to the mansion together.
Buster: Mr. Fincke, I've been thinking about making Venus my first destination when I'm an astronaut, instead of Mars or the moon. Maybe you'd like to join me?
Mike Fincke: Do you mind if I get a towel and some coffee first? I'd like to stay on Earth long enough to get dry.