Author : Hergé
Language : English
Tintin's friend Professor Calculus has been secretly commissioned by the Syldavian government to build a rocket ship which will fly to the moon. Tintin and Captain Haddock agree to join the expedition (even though Captain Haddock didn't want to, as usual). Upon arriving in Syldavia, they are taken to the Sprodj Atomic Research Centre (referred to simply as the Centre in the story), headed by the scientist Mr. Baxter. They are escorted by the "ZEPO", a special security force designed to protect the Centre from outsider threats. While working for Syldavia Calculus is flanked by the engineer Frank Wolff who works in the Centre and accompanies Tintin and Haddock around the facility. Prof. Calculus reveals that the Syldavian government invited nuclear physics scientists from other countries to work for the Centre, which was created four years earlier when large uranium deposits were discovered in the area. The Centre is entirely dedicated to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Calculus heads the Centre's astronautics department since this is his primary area of expertise.
While in the Centre, they soon come to realize the purpose to the ZEPO: they are designed specifically to block a foreign power that is also interested in the project. On one particular night, spies are parachuted into areas surrounding the facility and the Centre is placed on red alert. The security staff later arrest and interrogate two men dressed in Greek dance costumes, but in fact they are actually the Thompson twins, whom Tintin instantly recognizes and clears. The pair remain in the Centre.
An unmanned subscale prototype of the rocket -- the V-2 rocket like "X-FLR6" -- is launched on a circumlunar mission to photograph the far side of the moon as well as test Professor Calculus's revolutionary nuclear propulsion engine. The rocket successfully orbits the moon but is then intercepted by the foreign power and the research team has no other option than to destroy the rocket. As the compound is heavily secured, there must have been a spy who leaked information, but no suspects are found.
Despite this set-back preparations are made and the equipment is tested. While testing of the space suits, Captain Haddock gets frustrated in the situation and claims that Calculus is "acting the goat", (a line which would end up becoming a famous line in the Tintin series), leading to a well-known comic scene causing Calculus to go into a fit of anger. He leads them out of the complex and to the site of the Moon Rocket, where he falls down a ladder and suffers temporary memory loss, from which Haddock caringly - and unwittingly - helps him recover.
Preparations are made for an actual moon flight and a full scale manned rocket is built. Finally, on June 3, 1952 at 1:34 in the morning, the rocket takes off with Tintin, Haddock, Calculus and Wolff on board.
The story continues in Explorers on the Moon, picking up where Destination Moon left off. Courtesy : wikipedia.org
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