In order to broadcast images of the historic first moon landing back to the 300 million people who would be watching, NASA needed access to the world's biggest satellite dish, which happened to be in the middle of a sheep paddock in remote Parkes, Australia. Thus begins this story, as NASA scientist Al Burnett (Patrick Warburton) is sent to Parkes to handle the broadcast. At first, Burnett and the three on-site engineers are suspicious of each other. Benign leader Cliff Buxton (Sam Neill), temperamental "Mitch" Mitchell (Kevin Harrington) and shy Glenn Latham (Tom Long) are thrilled about being a part of the incredible adventure of a trip to the moon. But they are also shaken by the responsibility. The town of Parkes is also a little overwhelmed by the visibility. All of a sudden, a town no one ever paid any attention to is being visited by dignitaries and the press, and that creates opportunities for all kinds of upheaval. But the real problem arises when Parkes, selected as the site for the dish because of its stable weather conditions, is subjected to high winds just at the time its position needs to be most precisely calibrated.