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'The Real Right Stuff': Release date, plot, trailer and all you need to know about the Disney+ documentary

The story of the Mercury 7 was the subject of a recent series from Disney+, 'The Right Stuff' starring actors such as Jake McDorman, Patrick J Adams, among others

Before America's first human spaceflight program ran from 1958 to 1963, the obsessive original Mercury Seven astronauts and their families become instant celebrities in a competition that would have either killed them or made them immortal. The beginning of Project Mercury was all about scientists and test pilots chasing glory, while attempting to make history and getting a lead on Russia in the space war. The story of the Mercury 7 was the subject of a recent series from Disney+, 'The Right Stuff' starring actors such as Jake McDorman, Patrick J Adams, among others. 

However, the real lives of the astronauts portrayed were far more intense in what could have been called America's first reality television. Now, accompanying the series, Disney+ is set to release a documentary based on the real astronauts on its platform. Read on to know more details about 'The Real Right Stuff'.

Release date

'The Real Right Stuff' will be available to stream on Disney+ on Friday, November 20.

Plot

'The Real Right Stuff' tells the remarkable true story of the nation's first astronauts, the original Mercury 7, and pulls from hundreds of hours of archival film and radio broadcasts, interviews, home movies, and other rare and never-before-seen material to catapult viewers back to the late 1950s. The two-hour documentary, from National Geographic, complements the Disney+ original scripted series 'The Right Stuff' which will premiere its season finale on the same day.

The documentary is a gripping account of NASA's Project Mercury program, which revolutionized America's role in human space exploration and inspired future generations of space enthusiasts. Free of modern-day narration and interviews, the special features never-before-seen footage and newly synced audio. Shown for the first time are the tense moments that immediately followed the Mercury-Redstone 4 flight piloted by Virgil "Gus" Grissom.

Viewers experience the historic announcement of the Mercury 7 astronauts from a wide array of news outlets, all jockeying to cover America's first space team and witness an internal government recording that outlines the formation of NASA from its predecessor, The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The documentary also features Tom Wolfe speak with Rene Carpenter, wife of Mercury 7 astronaut Scott Carpenter, and see intimate handwritten notes compiled for Wolfe's seminal book, 'The Right Stuff'.

For the first time, behind-the-scenes photographs from the infamous LIFE Magazine issue are shared, providing a glimpse into the home lives of the Mercury 7 astronauts. Rare photos from National Geographic's top photographers who covered the Mercury space program are also revealed.

Producers

'The Real Right Stuff' is produced by 1895 Films for National Geographic. For 1895 Films, Tom Jennings serves as executive producer and director. The film is edited and produced by David Tillman and produced by Chris Morcom. For National Geographic, Simon Raikes is the executive producer.

Trailer

If you like this, you'll like:

'The Right Stuff'

'Challenger: The Final Flight'

'In the Shadow of the Moon'

'Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo'

'Columbia: The Tragic Loss'