Looks like The Right Stuff

Well, they're both obviously focused on the Mercury program, at least so far. I don't know a lot about the book the show is based on, but I think it's a fairly safe bet the author's research included reading The Right Stuff, among a huge volume of other things. I think there are at least a hundred books that cover the Mercury program, either specifically or as part of work covering the space program or the period more broadly. I believe each of the original seven astronauts except Grissom has written at least one book (or collaborated with a ghost writer, anyway). EDIT: Make that all seven: Grissom authored a book ("Gemini") too.

It's not exactly like the events occurred in obscurity and were discovered by Tom Wolfe: in some sense, you might say the "first version" of the story of that phase of the space program was published in real time in the form of news stories, magazine feature pieces, NASA reports and overnight books.

I don't think it's particularly a "retelling" of The Right Stuff, except to the extent that, given any pair of works that are based on the same historical events, the second one to appear is a "retelling" of the first. I suppose one might describe Saving Private Ryan as a retelling of The Longest Day.

There are a lot of differences between the two. The Right Stuff focused heavily on how the astronauts' ethos derived from that of military test pilots. The book and - more so - the movie, were focused on creating a sort of mythology around the astronauts. The TV show seems to be going the opposite direction. The Right Stuff ended with the last Mercury mission, while this TV show apparently will go further - through Gemini and at least up to Apollo.

...Or it's just an adaptation of Lily Koppel's non-fiction book of the same name

When the stars are the only things we share
Will you be there?

-Benjamin Francis Leftwich

Actually, there had been talk for years--including by the Mercury 7 astronauts themselves--that "someone" should write a book about the wives' experiences. Somebody finally did, and thus we have the eponymous book based on the real Astronaut Wives Club, on which this series is based. The book covers the Gemini and Apollo wives as well, so presumably we'll get their stories if the series is renewed for more seasons.

I only know that after I watch each episode, I'm tempted to watch The Right Stuff again.
"Well my name is Jim, but most people call me.....Jim."