President Bartlet prepares to address thousands of elementary school students nationwide as a NASA space probe descends on Mars, but a host of thorny problems suddenly land on his doorstep, including a fire in a Russian nuclear missile silo, a missing F-15 fighter whose pilot is AWOL — and a last-minute loss of communication with the Mars spacecraft. In addition: the Icelandic ambassador is peeved at the President for missing their meeting; Josh is still smarting after being delegated the resonsibility of choosing the subject of the next official stamp; a reluctant C.J. is forced to attend a concert where she will encounter some angry applicants whom she rejected as her new press deputy; and an embarrassed Sam is confronted by former date-mate Mallory at the concert.

From TV Guide: Crises come in all shapes and sizes during one hectic day at the White House. The biggest fire to be put out is just that. It’s in a Russian missile silo and the Russian government is covering it up (“Your paranoia was a lot sexier when you guys were Communists,” Bartlet tells the ambassador). Other crises range from a missing U.S. fighter plane to a news report that the President doesn’t like green beans. But through it all, he’s looking forward to a satellite hookup with schoolchildren during which they’ll examine images from a Martian probe. First, though, he wants C.J. to come up with a “broader theme” for the event.