Exploration of the Moon Exploration of the Moon The physical exploration of the Moon began when Luna 2, a space probe launched by the Soviet Union, made an impact on the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Prior to that the only available means of exploration had been observation from Earth. The invention of the optical telescope brought about the first leap in the quality of lunar observations. Galileo Galilei is generally credited as the first person to use a telescope for astronomical purposes; having made his own telescope in 1609, the mountains and craters on the lunar surface were among his
City on the Moon City on the Moon City on the Moon is a science fiction novel by Murray Leinster. It was released in 1958 by Ace Books under authority from Thomas Bouregy & Co using their Ace Double imprint reference number D-277. The novel details the events that unfold subsequent to an apparent sabotage attempt made against a lunar jeep on its return journey to the multinational civilian lunar city. This story was first published by Avalon Books in 1957. "City on the Moon" forms part of the To the Stars series by the same author, with two preceding books being "Space Platform"