
As World War II ends, German rocket expert Dieter Kolff (Michael York) forms an alliance with American engineer Stanley Mott (Bruce Dern). Meanwhile, Navy officer Norman Grant (James Garner) emerges a war hero, inspiring John Pope (Harry Hamlin) to enlist for duty.
Pope's girlfriend Penny Hardesty (Blair Brown) volunteers to help Grant win a senatorial seat, while Mott and Kolff's rocket experimentation intensifies. Kolff reunites with his lover Liesl (Barbara Sukowa).