United States space shuttle Intrepid, crippled and silent, orbits the Earth. On board, a military payload so secret that only the most senior Star Wars directorate knows of its existence.

But as Space Command begins to mount a rescue mission, a secret geosynchronous satellite eavesdrops on an astounding transmission between the shuttle and a ground station deep in the heart of the Soviet Union.

An SR-71 Blackbird spyplane, braving the full fury of the Soviet air defence systems, confirms an amazing suspicion. The crippled shuttle with its irreplaceable cargo is under Russian control...