On a remote rock in the Pacific a scientific team works feverishly on "White Lance," an experimental space probe powered by a volatile and unpredictable fuel.

The technical crews are considerably stressed. For one thing, their most recent launch has failed. For another their chief, Dr. James Chapel, a pacifist, feels threatened by a nearby ICBM training unit. This exacerbates Chapel's quirky perfectionism, disturbing his men. His wife, who has her reasons, takes up with the ICBM unit commander and goes beyond just admiring his rocket.

"THE SHOOT succeeds as a drama of tension, of men striving against their own limitations in a field where there is no margin for error." (B-O-T Editorial Review Board)