A malfunction at a mining operation sends an asteroid careening towards the sun, endangering crewman Ned Tedford. Alan and Kayo deploy Thunderbird 3 for the rescue mission, but a rogue solar flare knocks out their sensors. They land near the mine, and must find a way to alter the asteroid's trajectory so that it slingshots around the sun instead of crashing into it.
In the 21st century, Jeff Tracy, a former astronaut, amasses a colossal fortune and decides that he must use it to benefit others. His answer to this desire is to create International Rescue, a unique private emergency response service equipped with customized designed vehicles and equipment that enable the organization to react to any crisis whether it be in sea, air, land, or space.
Jeff's five sons volunteer to operate as the pilots and field agents, as well "Brain" who acts as the teams engineer. In addition, Jeff's friend, Kyrano and his daughter Tanusha aka Kayo agree to be the support staff. In addition to the field team, IR also maintains an intelligence network with Lady Penelope and her ex-con chauffeur, Parker as the chief agents in this arm.