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'The Right Stuff': Nat Geo series coming to Disney+ in fall

May 5 (UPI) -- The Right Stuff, an original scripted series from National Geographic, is coming to Disney+.

Disney+ announced in a press release Tuesday that the series will premiere on the streaming service in the fall.

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The Right Stuff is adapted from Tom Wolfe's nonfiction book of the same name, which recounts the early days of the U.S. space program. The program became America's first "reality show" of sorts, with all eyes on the astronauts and their families.

The eight-episode series centers on John Glenn (Patrick J. Adams) and Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman). The pair were two of the Mercury Seven, a team of test pilots for NASA's Project Mercury amid the space race with the Soviets during the Cold War.

The Mercury Seven also included Gordon Cooper (Colin O'Donoghue), Wally Schirra (Aaron Staton), Scott Carpenter (James Lafferty), Deke Slayton (Micah Stock) and Guss Grissom (Michael Trotter).

The Right Stuff explores the "deeply human" side of the people involved, including Glenn and Shepard's "intense rivalry." The show also follows NASA's engineers and PR department.

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"This true story of scientific innovation and human perseverance could not be more timely," National Geographic global television networks president Courteney Monroe said. "National Geographic's The Right Stuff is an aspirational story about exploration, ambition, determination and resilience and reminds us that human beings can achieve the extraordinary when united by a common purpose."

The Right Stuff co-stars Nora Zehetner, Eloise Mumford, Shannon Lucio, Patrick Fischler and Eric Ladin. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson will executive produce with Mark Lafferty, who also serves as showrunner.

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