Synopsis
Tintin's friend Professor Calculus has been secretly commissioned by the Syldavian government to build a rocket ship that will fly from the Earth to the Moon. Tintin and Captain Haddock agree to join the expedition, even though Captain Haddock shows considerable reluctance. Upon arriving in Syldavia, they are taken to the Sprodj Atomic Research Centre, called simply "the Centre", headed by Mr. Baxter, an engineer. They are escorted by the "ZEPO" (Zekrett Politzs), a special security force charged with protecting the Centre from outside threats. While working for Syldavia, Calculus is assisted by 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 physicists from other countries to work at 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.
An unmanned subscale prototype of the rocket — the "X-FLR6", resembling a V-2 rocket — is launched on a circumlunar mission to photograph the far side of the Moon, as well as test Professor Calculus's revolutionary nuclear rocket engine. The night before the launch, the Centre's radar picks up a plane which slips through the security cordon and drops three paratroopers. Tintin's curiosity is piqued and he sets out to look for them. He intercepts a paratrooper receiving information from a vent located on the cliffs near the Centre, but is ambushed and knocked unconscious. This incident confirms the Centre's suspicions that the paratroopers were agents of a foreign power, but Tintin fears that any efforts to trace the leaked information would be futile, guessing that the intruder simply made copies of whatever information he passed on. On the day of the launch, the rocket successfully orbits the moon, but it is then intercepted by the foreign power; the leaked information concerned the rocket's radio control. However, Tintin had anticipated this and asked Calculus to rig a self-destruct mechanism for the rocket. The Centre has no choice but to use it and destroy the rocket. As the compound is heavily secured, there must have been a spy who leaked information through the grille, but no suspects are found.
Despite this setback, preparations are made for the moon trip – the rocket's engine still having been confirmed as viable even if they were unable to access the data it gathered – and the equipment is tested. While testing one of the space suits, Captain Haddock becomes frustrated and accuses Calculus of "acting the goat" (a line that would become famous in the Tintin series), causing Calculus to go into a fit of anger. He leads them out of the complex – breaking every security rule in the book – and to the site of the moon rocket which is in near completion. While taking Haddock and Tintin through the rocket's interior, he falls down a ladder and suffers temporary memory loss. Haddock caringly — and unwittingly — attempts helps him recover, using British redcoat soldier costumes, trick cameras, water guns, fire crackers, and even a ghost costume. When his attempts elicit no reaction whatsoever, Haddock angrily says he will not be "acting the goat", which makes Calculus recover his memory in a fit of rage.
Preparations are made for a manned flight, and the full-scale rocket is completed. Finally, on 3 June 1952, at 1:34 am, the rocket takes off for the Moon with Tintin, Haddock, Calculus, Wolff and Tintin's dog Snowy aboard.
The story continues in Explorers on the Moon.
Read more about this topic: Destination Moon (Tintin)