Destination Moon

Compiled by Irene Mar Last updated:

Destination Moon
© Hergé / Tintinimaginatio

Original French title

Objectif Lune

Plot

Tintin and Captain Haddock receive a telegram from Professor Calculus asking them to come to Syldavia at once. At a secret atomic research centre there, he is building a rocket to take people to the Moon. He wants his friends as its crew. Haddock is far from keen to go. Meanwhile, a foreign power gets secrets from someone inside the centre and tries to seize an unmanned test rocket.

Publication history

First published in Tintin magazine--under the name "On a marché sur la lune" for the two Moon adventures.

The first part, Destination Moon, began in Tintin magazine on March 30, 1950 and continued until September 7, 1950. Publication was interrupted due to Hergé's personal problems. The story resumed on April 4, 1952, and ended on October 22, 1952.

English editions

  • 1959 - first edition published by Methuen, London.
  • 1974 - Methuen (London). ISBN: 0416800300.
  • 1990 - Mammoth (London). Translated by Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper and Michael Turner. 64p. Paperback. ISBN: 0749704675.

Trivia

  1. Cameo: page 40, E.P. Jacobs appears as a fat technician.
  2. In the French edition, on page 24, frame 7 (B3), there is confusion between Dupond and Dupont (Thomson and Thompson): Dupond says "... ce pauvre Dupond...." [EC] Note: The English edition is correct, Thompson says: "Poor old Thomson, he's off his rocker! ..."
  3. On page 12, frame 7 (C1), Wolff says: "laboratoire central qui fabrique de l'uranium", but on page 40, frame 10 (D1), Calculus says: "Et l'uranium qu'on fabrique!!" [EC]
  4. On page 43, final frame, we learn that the rocket will take off on 3 June. On page 50, frame 9 (C3), we see a May calendar showing "Saturday 15 May", which means June 3 will fall on a Thursday. But if we go by page 54, frame 4 (B1), the day preceding the launch is a Monday, then how can the launch be on Thursday? [EC]
    Possible explanation: The "May Calendar" is probably a bad guess by the English translators. The French original shows only "MA" for the month, which means either March or May. March is consistent with launch the day after Monday (year 1952). [PJ]
  5. On page 55, last frame (D3) Haddock is on the left, and Tintin on the right; but on page 56, frame 2 (A2), the two have changed places. [EC]

Characters

Title in other languages

  • Basque - Ilargira bidean
  • Bengali - Chandraloke Abhijan
  • Breton - War-zu al loar
  • Catalan - Objectiu: la Lluna
  • Chinese - 奔向月球 (Ben xiang yueqiu)
  • Danish - Månen tur-retur 1. del
  • Dutch - Raket naar de maan
  • Farsi/Persian - Hadaf kurihyi mah
  • Finnish - Päämääränä kuu
  • German - Reiseziel Mond
  • Greek - Apostoli sti Selini
  • Hebrew - haTisa laYarea'ch
  • Icelandic - Eldflaugastöðin
  • Indonesian - Ekspedisi Ke Bulan [Indira edition] / Perjalanan Ke Bulan [Gramedia edition]
  • Italian - Obiettivo luna
  • Japanese - めざすは月 Mezasu wa tsuki
  • Malay - Destinasi Bulan
  • Norwegian - Månen turretur del 1
  • Portuguese - Rumo à lua
  • Russian - Polet na lunu
  • Spanish - Objetivo: la Luna
  • Swedish - Månen tur och retur del 1
  • Turkish - Hedef ay
  • Vietnamese - Dén mât trâng
  • Welsh - Llwybr i'r Lleuad

Next album: Explorers on the Moon

Credits

Originally created by Jesper Jühne. Revised and maintained by Irene Mar.

Characters list compiled by Irene Mar.

Contributors and sources: Etienne Chevalier, Chikahiro Masami, Kirill Polsatchev, Per Johansson, Gwenan, Jari, Syaiful Bahri, BP = Tintin and the world of Hergé by Benoît Peeters. London: Methuen, 1989.

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