The space program suffers a major setback in the form of bungling aeronautics engineer Fred Z. Randall, who, despite his conceptual smarts, can't quite hack it as an astronaut because of his clumsiness. But when the first manned mission to Mars is short a man, Fred springs into action, much to dismay of his chagrined fellow crew members, who endure Fred's interplanetary flatulence and sock puppet plays.