Space Cowboys
Movie, 2000, Present Day, Set in Present day
Space Cowboys is #8 of 18 in release order and #7 of 18 in chronological order in the Space Movies.
The story
Frank Corvin, ‘Hawk’ Hawkins, Jerry O'Neill and ‘Tank’ Sullivan were hotdog members of Project Daedalus, the US Air Force's test program for space travel, but their hopes were dashed in 1958 with the formation of NASA and the use of trained chimps. They blackmail their way into orbit when Russia's mysterious ‘Ikon’ communications satellite's orbit begins to degrade and threatens to crash to Earth.
Space Cowboys recap
In 1958, the Air Force test pilots of Team Daedalus, Frank Corvin, Hawk Hawkins, Jerry O'Neill and Tank Sullivan, lose their chance to fly into space when NASA is created and the job goes to a chimpanzee. Forty years later, the Russian satellite IKON is failing and about to fall to Earth. Its guidance system was copied from a design Frank wrote, and he is the only one who can fix it. He agrees on condition that his old team goes too. The four old men train alongside young astronauts and launch on the shuttle. In orbit they find IKON is not a communications satellite but carries six nuclear missiles aimed at the United States, and a mishap triggers them.
Space Cowboys ending explained
Hawk, who has terminal cancer, rides IKON away from Earth and fires the missiles toward the Moon, sacrificing himself. Frank lands the damaged shuttle with Jerry. The final shot shows Hawk's body on the lunar surface, looking back at the Earth, while "Fly Me to the Moon" plays.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Space Cowboys
Space Cowboys isn't on a US streaming service right now. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes 78%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Mission to Mars, before Sunshine.
- Chronological order: after Armageddon, before 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Cast
- Clint Eastwood as Frank Corvin
- Tommy Lee Jones as Hawk Hawkins
- Donald Sutherland as Jerry O'Neill
- James Garner as Tank Sullivan
- James Cromwell as Bob Gerson
- Marcia Gay Harden as Sara Holland
- William Devane as Eugene Davis
- Loren Dean as Ethan Glance
- Courtney B. Vance as Roger Hines
- Barbara Babcock as Barbara Corvin
- Rade Šerbedžija as General Vostov
- Blair Brown as Dr. Anne Caruthers
Directed by Clint Eastwood.