<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed . Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise . (October 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed . Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise . (October 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> In October 1957, news of the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik 1 reaches the town of Coalwood, where most people work in the coal mines . As the townspeople gather outside on the night of the broadcast, they see the satellite orbit across the sky . Homer H. Hickam Jr., filled with awe, sets out to build his own rockets to hopefully get out of Coalwood . His family and classmates' do not respond kindly, especially his father and the mine superintendent, John, who wants Homer to join him in the mines . </P> <P> Despite this, Homer eventually teams up with math geek Quentin Wilson, who also has an interest in rocket engineering; with the support of his friends, Roy Lee Cooke and Sherman O'Dell, and their science teacher, Miss Frieda J. Riley--known as Miss Reily, the four construct small rockets . While their first launches are failures, they experiment with new fuels and designs and eventually succeed . The local paper runs a story about them after a few of their launches . Nevertheless, they are accused of starting a forest fire with an astray rocket and are arrested . After John picks up Homer, Roy Lee is beaten up by his abusive stepfather, Vernon . John intervenes and rescues Roy Lee, warning Vernon that he will protect him as Roy Lee's late father would have . </P>

October sky at the beginning of the movie what was the radio announcement about