episode #08 - The Rescue of Athena One

Air Date: 3/15/74 written by D.C. Fontana Directed by Lawrence Doheny


Austin goes back into outer space in this one. He's stuck training a female astronaut (Farrah-Fawcett) and there's friction between the two. However, they soon warm to each other, especially after one of those scenes when Austin is forced to use his bionic arm to ward off a heavy falling object - one more occassion to reveal a national security secret. By the time of the actual space flight, the femme astronaut is ready; but a freak glitch demands a rescue mission, headed by Austin.


For those (most sci-fi fans) into astronauts doing their thing up in orbit, this episode is a must, but it may be kind of slow for other viewers. Once up in orbit, Austin himself has a problem with his bionics and it's then all up to Farrah - oh, oh. In all, this episode is like a replay of actual orbital and moon missions which were popular up until a couple of years previously. And, Farrah - when not in her spacesuit - is here in all her glory, hair and all. Now, that's an astronaut! BoG's Score: 6.5 out of 10

Bionic Trivia: Fawcett was married to Lee Majors at the time and is credited as "Farrah-Fawcett Majors" here; she returned as other characters in a couple of later episodes. Fontana, the writer, is best known for her work on the Star Trek franchise.