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Rocket Ship Galileo

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This was Heinlein's first novel published in book form, and the first in his excellent "juvenile" series which included Space Cadet, Time For The Stars, Starman Jones, The Star Beast, Tunnel In The Sky, etc., and it is still my all-time favorite. Heinlein manages to make believable the tale of a scientist (Dr. Cargraves) organizing three 18-year-old boys of a rocket club to build a nuclear powered moon rocket. If you have an interest in space travel you'll get sucked in and won't put the book down until it's over, no matter how dated and unlikely the premise at first appears. It is written with Heinlein's usual skill (that earned him four Hugo awards), and the characters are easy to identify with, especially for any young space enthusiasts. This was also the basis for the 1950 classic film Destination Moon, although about all that remains unchanged in the film is the name Dr. Cargraves. In the book there is a veiled threat from unknown enemies that turn out to be Nazis (this was the first thing Heinlein wrote after the war) - in the film there's just a veiled reference to a communist threat. I suspect the film also draws from Heinlein's more sophisticated treatment from the same period, The Man Who Sold The Moon.
On 6 October 1988, after Robert Heinlein's death, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded him the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal:
"In recognition of his meritorious service to the Nation and mankind in advocating and promoting the exploration of space. Through dozens of superbly written novels and essays and his epoch-making movie Destination Moon, he helped inspire the Nation to take its first step into space and onto the Moon." -- James C. Fletcher, Administrator, NASA
Read Rocketship Galileo, or get it for your kids. If it's not available here, search the auctions.

Let's say this right up front: "Rocket Ship Galileo" is not Heinlein's best novel. But it just might be his most influential work, and given that the competition ranges from "Stranger in a Strange Land" to his early groundbreaking science fiction before WWII, that's saying a great deal. After his return from civilian service for the Navy, Heinlein wanted to break out of the pulps he'd written for before the war. He didn't want to stay trapped; he wanted to write for the slicks, for girls, for boys, for the movies, for nearly every market that he could break into. "Rocket Ship Galileo" is not his first novel -- he'd written several novel-length works for the pulps. But it is his first work specifically written for young boys, and the first of the dozen or so juvenile classics to follow. Heinlein's greatest literary hero, Mark Twain, had written for boys; the market seemed open to him, and the money looked good. Heinlein always loved teaching young people, and this novel would prove his greatest triumph in that regard. Yes, the storyline is somewhat hard to believe: three high-school age boys get taken to the moon. But that was right in the tradition of the Tom Swift novels that had sold so well to young boys. Yes, the ending is corny to us now, with Nazis on the moon: but in 1947, the Nazis has just been defeated, and they had been the world's greatest rocket scientists: it seemed perfectly plausible in 1947. The novel hasn't dated well in some respects; the dialogue is a bit cheesy, and the characters are a little hard to tell apart. But it still moves with great excitement, and the science hasn't dated very badly at all; Heinlein's experience developing high-pressure suits proved sufficient to create a space suit remarkably like that later developed. So why is this novel so influential? Because it was read by hundreds of young men and women who went on to work in the Apollo program in the sixties; Heinlein, in this very novel, had convinced them going to the moon was exciting, achievable, and important. If any work of fiction has that kind of impact, it deserves to be read. But in and of itself, "Rocket Ship Galileo" is still a page-turner, and a wonderful read. Enjoy!

When I was a kid, I dreamed of being an astronaut. That wasn't to be, but this book inspired me to go into science and engineering and now I'm a successful programmer; I've heard the book influenced many other people similarly, including many who worked on the space program. If you have similar interests, I think you'll find Rocket Ship Galileo absorbing, even if dated.

Heinlein's first "juvenile" novel was written skillfully and is highly entertaining. The tale of a scientist enlisting the aid of 3 boys of a rocket club to build a nuclear powered moon-rocket was scientifically accurate for the time, and inspired future NASA engineers, though the first moon-flight turned out differently. However, Heinlein's realistic characters are easy to identify with, making the story believable even to a modern-day reader.

Although dated (and what isn't dated today), this is another great book by Heinlein. I remember finding this book in the school library when I was a kid and never forgot reading it from cover to cover. Now I am sharing it with my kids. Great adventure!

Rocket Ship Galileo (1947) is the first novel in the author's juvenile series, depicting the initial flight to the Moon. Published in 1947, the story is now the history of an alternate timeline, in which the atomic weapons used to end World War II were succeeded by a more vigorous development of nuclear power as well as the growth of internationalism into a more powerful form of world government. Rocket ships are used routinely to carry passengers and freight to the ends of the Earth.

In this story, Doctor Donald Morris Cargraves has designed a system of power generation that is too powerful for existing turbines to handle. However, it would make an excellent rocket engine. He takes the idea to his corporate bosses, but they reject the technology as unlikely to have an adequate return on investment. His corporation owns the rights to power generation, but not those to rocket propulsion. Cargraves resigns, with no hard feelings on either side, to work on the idea.

While he is considering his options, Cargraves decides to visit his sister and nephew. However, Art is with his friends, Ross and Morrie, at the Galileo Club test site, trying out a new model rocket, so Cargraves drives out to meet them. The boys are running a test as he approaches and have set the engine to full thrust. All is going well until, suddenly, the engine hesitates and then explodes. After the boys have checked the remains and covered the instruments and test stand, they leave only to find Cargraves face down at the gate. They call an ambulance which takes him to the hospital.

The next day, the boys have gathered all the pieces of the rocket and tidied up the site when Cargraves shows up with a turban bandage on his head. They show him their clubhouse, with its workbench, equipment, logs, and reference books as well as a few SF novels and magazines. They talk for a while and then eat lunch at Ross's house with his father and mother. Afterwards, they return to the clubhouse and Cargraves suggests that they might want to join him in constructing a nuclear rocket ship to fly to the Moon.

This novel is both dated and ahead of its time. The dialogue is most typical of the time, yet the technology is futuristic even today. Most of the reference to nuclear power may seem quaint, since the safeguards mandated by today's regulatory agencies are obviously lacking. Also, the references to walking on the glassy ground that was directly below a nuclear blast makes my toes curl. However, the military conducted nuclear tests with Army personnel in trenches within a few miles of ground zero during the early 1950's. Moreover, the risks of induced radioactivity were not really known at that time.

The concept of heating a metal to propel spaceships is not, in itself, a fantasy. Such rocket engines have been designed and seem feasible. The problems, however, are somewhat understated in this novel. For one thing, a nuclear pile that was not shielded on all sides would never be permitted in our society. In addition, the legal issues of allowing a nuclear powered rocket to take off, spewing material out the exhaust that had been exposed to hard radiation, would be formidable; induced radioactivity may have a short half-life, but still detectable, and some people have hysterics if the sun is shining too bright.

Another aspects of the novel is, sadly, unrealistic in today's educational environment. Where would you find three high school boys who have studied differential equations and mathematical logic. There are probably some out there, but not many of them would also be able to weld a seam, turn a piece on a lathe and wire a console. The author had high expectations for the public educational system, but THAT turned out to be fantasy.

This novel is the inspiration for Destination Moon, originally scripted by Robert Heinlein and Alford Van Ronkel, but the final script was much modified from the original. Nevertheless, Heinlein was employed as the technical advisor, so most of the realism in the movie comes from his efforts.

Highly recommended for Heinlein fans and anyone else who in interested in the origins of modern science fiction.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Rocket Ship Galileo

This was Heinlein's first novel published in book form, and the first in his excellent "juvenile" series which included Space Cadet, Time for the Stars, Starman Jones, Star Beast,Tunnel in the Sky, etc. . Heinlein manages to make believable the tale of a scientist (Dr. Cargraves) organizing some 18-year-old boys of a rocket club to build a nuclear powered moon rocket.


On 6 October 1988, after Robert Heinlein's death, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded him the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal:
"In recognition of his meritorious service to the Nation and mankind in advocating and promoting the exploration of space. Through dozens of superbly written novels and essays and his epoch-making movie Destination Moon: 15 Year Anniversary Edition

Read Rocketship Galileo, or get it for your kids.

Highly recommended for Heinlein fans and kids just starting to read science fiction, or adults for that matter.

Gunner, April, 2009

I really like Heinlein's juvenile novels for the entertaining way he explains the physics of space travel. The cover art on this one makes it desirable as well. This was not my favorite book of his but it was the 1st (not counting "We the Living" since it wasn't published until much later.) The story was somewhat topical in 1947 since he included a Nazi plot to take over the Earth by using the Moon as a military base. This was also an era when rockets & space travel were gaining a lot of importance. It's still a great read for kids today & for the occasional childish adult!

I'm a huge fan of Heinlein and this is a truly classic Juvie. Yes, it may be a bit formulaic, but those elements are what made him famous so maybe they are worth sticking to. Basically several youths with an older scientist retro-fit a spaceship with a new and improved engine and head off to be the first to reach the moon. Once in space there are adventures a-plenty and a few surprises in the story telling. (I won't spoil it, but once your find out who the antagonists are, it's worthy of a good chuckle.)

But one of my more favorite juvie by this great author. Full of optimism, characters who follow a dream and overcome any obstacle. Believable? Well, no. But it's a good ride.

I first read this book many years ago, and I still reflect on it from time to time. It changed the way I looked at the world. Simple in content, and perhaps a story out-moded for the present adventures found in SF, it still has a particular value to the reader that will make it a favorite. This book was about unbridled ambition. A handful of young rocket enthusiasts and a instructor build a rocket ship and go to the moon utilizing their own wits and resources. Heinlein taps into the possibilities that could shape the future, and essentially poses the question 'How long will space exploration remain only a government exercise? Why couldn't private citizens take it upon themselves to explore the stars themselves?' This entire book may seem simple at first glance, but I consider it an important and thought provoking concept for any dreamer with a vision. At the time this was written, it was very much ahead of it's time.