Farrah Fawcett in "Rescue of Athena One"

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“Rescue of Athena One” is an early Six Million Dollar Man episode (aired March 15, 1974) in which Steve Austin is called upon to train America’s first female astronaut, Major Kelly Wood (played by Farrah Fawcett). The plot begins with Wood’s maiden mission aboard the spacecraft Athena One, which is rocked by an explosion, injuring her co‑pilot. She manages to dock with Skylab, but the hatch is jammed, and rescue is imperative.

Steve is sent into space (along with a flight surgeon) to reach her. Once docked, he pries open the hatch and gains access, but during extra‑vehicular work, his bionic systems begin to malfunction under increased solar radiation. At this point, Wood must assume command of the rescue capsule and pilot it (with all aboard) back to Earth, while Steve must lean on her competence and judgment to bring the mission home safely.

Fawcett’s casting adds a layer of intrigue, especially since she was married to Lee Majors at the time. Her performance leans serious, with the challenge of meeting technical and dramatic demands rather than merely serving as a decorative presence. The episode is ambitious: it shifts from espionage or crime to disaster‑style, high‑tech space peril. It also explores gender in its era, as Wood must prove herself capable under life‑and‑death pressure and earn Steve’s trust. Yet the episode is not without flaws.

The narrative is contrived in places, and the sense that Steve’s bionics conveniently fail at the moment of greatest crisis feels engineered for drama. Additionally, the integration of archival NASA footage sometimes clashes with studio visuals, causing the viewer to doubt the credibility of a cohesive timeline.
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With that said, over time, “Rescue of Athena One” has remained memorable for its scope and willingness to push the show into a different arena, and for Fawcett’s involvement, which signaled she could tackle more strenuous dramatic work. Viewed today, it’s a period piece: optimistic about space, still wrestling with its assumptions about gender and heroism, and a unique detour in the Six Million Dollar Man catalog.