HOUSTON, IS THERE A PROBLEM?

Enrollment in a summer space camp propels an orphaned teenager into a loftier orbit.

Landing amid a crowd of similarly high-octane brainiacs—two in particular, Ashley Ling and Teal St. Jermaine, sporting the same brash, abrasive self-assurance he possesses—13-year-old Houston Williams finds himself having to stretch for the first time to beat everyone else out. But the camp, it turns out after a round of competitive clashes, is only an audition for real and even more competitive astronaut training as part of a secret NASA program. During that training, which includes rides on the Vomit Comet and other tests actual astronauts experience, the three teens set aside their rivalry to prove themselves as smart (and at least as tough) as any of the adult trainees and teachers. Rather than play his scenario for suspense, laughs, or even informational content, Walters not only rarely lets his protagonists show even a flash of individuality, but marches them through a series of incidents methodically designed to highlight the exercise and importance of team leadership, teamwork, and team loyalty. This insistent messaging unfortunately ends up dominating. Most characters read as White by default; Ashley is described as generically Asian.

A fizzle, driven more by agenda than adrenalin.