Woman in The Moon

Woman in the Moon (German Frau im Mond) is a science fiction silent film that premiered 15 October 1929. It is often considered to be one of the first "serious" science fiction films. It was written and directed by Fritz Lang, based on the novel Die Frau im Mond (1928, translated as The Woman to the Moon in 1930) by his then-wife and collaborator Thea von Harbou. It was released in the USA as By Rocket to the Moon and in the UK as Woman in the Moon.

The basics of rocket travel were presented to a mass audience for the first time by this film, including the use of a multi-stage rocket. The moon rocket Friede was submerged in water before launch, which NASA did not do when it sent actual rockets to the moon, but large rockets are launched over water to prevent damage to the spacecraft from the sound generated by liftoff. NASA did, however, have proposals for water-launched rockets (the Sea Dragon and Nova).