NASA and the Soviet-Russian space program prepare for a new mission to the permanent space station. Experienced astronaut J.J. 'Jim' Hendricks, who has all the qualifications to be captain, is refused command after refusing to justify his past piloting mistakes. Meanwhile, Russian captain Previ Federov, who has personal ties to the US, is preoccupied with his country's military operation in Tadjikistan. Once in space, Federov seizes the station and demands that the US leave Tadjikistan or he will destroy major US cities. The only way to stop him is for an experimental spacecraft to be piloted by Hendricks, whose notice of resignation has just taken effect.
Fallout
A tense standoff between Russia and Tajikistan threatens global security, but the US's strategic nuclear advantage helps to defuse the situation.
