Sam Shepard

Chuck Yeager

Scott Glenn

Alan Shepard

Ed Harris

John Glenn

Dennis Quaid

Gordon Cooper

Fred Ward

Gus Grissom

Barbara Hershey

Glennis Yeager

Kim Stanley

Pancho Barnes

Veronica Cartwright

Betty Grissom

Pamela Reed

Trudy Cooper

Scott Paulin

Deke Slayton

Charles Frank

Scott Carpenter

Lance Henriksen

Wally Schirra

Donald Moffat

Lyndon B. Johnson

Levon Helm

Jack Ridley / Narrator

Mary Jo Deschanel

Annie Glenn

Scott Wilson

Scott Crossfield

Kathy Baker

Louise Shepard

Royal Dano

Minister

David Clennon

Liaison Man

Jim Haynie

Air Force Major

Jeff Goldblum

NASA Recruiter

Harry Shearer

NASA Recruiter

Scott Beach

Chief Scientist

John P. Ryan

Head of Program

Darryl Henriques

Life Reporter

Eric Sevareid

Himself

William Russ

Slick Goodlin

William Hall

The Permanent Press Corps

Edward Anhalt

Grand Designer

Mary Apick

Woman Reporter

Tom Dahlgren

Bell Aircraft Executive

John Dehner

Henry Luce

David Gulpilil

Aborigine

Michael Pritchard

Texan

O-Lan Jones

Girl at Pancho's

Chuck Yeager

Fred

Mimi Sarkisian

New Mexico Nurse in Lobby (uncredited)