Take a step back in time to the beginning of the space race with a new series from Disney+.

The Right Stuff follows the incredible story of America’s first astronauts, the Mercury 7. Set at the height of the Cold War, the series shows how newly-formed NASA made ambitious plans to lift off Earth.

As pressure to compete with the Soviet Union mounts, NASA engineers hand pick seven astronauts from a pool of military test pilots. The Mercury 7, ordinary men plucked from obscurity, become instant American heroes in the eyes of the public.

The Mercury 7

Major John Glenn (Patrick J. Adams): A revered Marine test pilot and committed family man

Lieutenant Commander Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman): One of the best test pilots in Navy history

Captain Gordo Cooper (Colin O’Donoghue): The youngest of the seven selected, to everyone’s surprise

Wally Schirra (Aaron Staton): A competitive pilot with a gift for pulling pranks

Scott Carpenter (James Lafferty): Dubbed “The Poet” by the other astronauts

Deke Slayton (Micah Stock): A taciturn but incredibly intelligent pilot and engineer

Gus Grissom (Michael Trotter): A decorated military veteran who eventually becomes the second man in space

About The Right Stuff

The Right Stuff Disney+ poster

The series will focus on the US/USSR space race and cold war tensions, along with the personal effects the pressure has on the astronauts and their families.

The Right Stuff is based on the bestselling book by Tom Wolfe. National Geographic and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way produce the series. Mark Lafferty (Halt and Catch Fire) serves as showrunner. Chris Long (The Americans) directed and executive produced the first episode.

The first two episodes of the eight episode season will release on Disney+ October 9. So, what do you think of The Right Stuff?

Until then, check back to That Hashtag Show for more Disney+ updates,