This week, Dean Pelton and his administrative staff hold an emergency meeting to discuss the most recent crisis to hit Greendale Community College. Their arch rival, City College, has procured a space simulator and will soon be the first community college in Greendale to give students a simulated space experience. They will even have an astronaut on their brochure! Not to be outdone be City College, Dean Pelton announces that Greendale will soon have its very own space simulator, and they will debut it over the weekend before City College’s unveiling on Monday. Greendale is now the proud owner of the 20–year-old Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Eleven Herbs and Space Experience! And he knows just the team to wash it before the unveiling ceremony...

Jeff, Britta, and the gang are charged with the task of making the KFC space simulator space-ready, but not before arriving an hour late because Abed kept making them re-do their slow-motion space crew walk. The slow motion walk is the first moment of many Apollo 13-esque scenes throughout the episode, and nothing new for the pop-culture obsessed show.

Dean Pelton tells the team that they have been chosen to clean the simulator/converted Winnebago because of their offensive entry into Greendale’s flag competition. Their “butt flag” features a somewhat abstract drawing of butt and the immortal phrase “E Pluribus Anus,” and actually won the competition to become Greendale’s official pennant.

Although most of the team is familiar with the KFC simulator, Abed has never been inside the simulator because his falafel stand-owning dad has a long-held grudge against the fast food chains that almost pushed him out of business. However, Abed has always longed to see the space simulator and has memorized everything about it. When he leaves to change into more appropriate astronaut gear, the rest of the team accidentally locks themselves inside as the simulator is towed away.

Inside, the team struggles to understand whether they have actually blasted off into space, or are just being towed. They have no cell phone reception or GPS, but are able to communicate with the dean through the school’s PA system. Abed quickly takes control of Greendale’s makeshift command center, and tells the team that they will only be able to get out once they have completed the simulation. Jeff tries to break the window instead, but Captain Troy tells him it can’t be done. Pierce, afflicted with claustrophobia or “space madness,” tries to strangle Troy for giving the simulator life force. He is soon locked in the back of the simulator.

As panic and anger set in, Annie confesses that they are not being towed. Rather, Annie agreed to help City College steal the simulator in exchange for acceptance to the school. Outraged at her betrayal, and suddenly protective of their school, they convince Annie to stay agree to work together to help get the simulator back in time for the ceremony. They quickly beat the game and are rewarded with the most primitive of 1980’s computer graphics. When the window opens to reveal their location, they find out that they are unfortunately...out of town.

Jeff confesses to telling Dean Pelton that it was them who submitted the winning flag design, but only because he couldn’t stand that the Dean did not understand that the design was a picture of a butt. Pierce tells the group that he is ready to be released from his cage, but immediately rips the simulator’s television screen out of the wall to reveal the steering wheel of the converted Winnebago. In a culmination of a multitude of KFC-themed jokes, Annie takes the wheel in order to drive back to Greendale, exclaiming, “Come on you family sized bucket o’bolts.”

They arrive back to Greendale in time for the unveiling, and disembark a la Apollo 13 as heroes. The episode ends as Dean Pelton plants Greendale’s new “butt flag,” beaming with pride.
The credits roll as a preview of Troy and Abed’s movie Space Ships plays.