1947 Scribner Juvenile Charles Scribner's Sons

Rocket Ship Galileo

First Scribner Juvenile novel

Narrative Synopsis

Three teenage amateur rocketeers (Art, Ross, and Maurice) team up with an eccentric uncle and nuclear physicist, Dr. Donald Cargraves, to convert a surplus suborbital cargo rocket into an atomic-powered spacecraft and become the first humans to land on the Moon, where they uncover a hidden lunar outpost.

A boy who knows how to handle tools and understand equations can build the future with his bare hands.
Notable Passage

Historical & Editorial Context

Loosely inspired the landmark 1950 science fiction film Destination Moon, for which Heinlein co-wrote the screenplay and served as technical advisor.