Objectif Lune (Destination Moon) (1953) by Hergé is the sixteenth Tintin adventure and the first part of a two-part lunar saga, showcasing Hergé’s visionary blend of science and adventure. The story follows Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Professor Calculus as they travel to the Syldavian space facility in Sprodj, where Calculus is leading a top-secret mission to build the first manned rocket to the Moon. Amid industrial sabotage, espionage, and the bumbling interference of Dupond and Dupont, the team prepares for liftoff—while Calculus, in a classic Hergé twist, remains hilariously oblivious to the dangers.
Hergé’s meticulous research (collaborating with physicist Bernard Heuvelmans) lends startling realism to the rocket’s design, predating NASA’s Apollo program by over a decade. The album’s cliffhanger ending sets the stage for On a marché sur la Lune (Explorers on the Moon).
A testament to Hergé’s forward-thinking genius, merging hard science with timeless humor.
