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
Of a Fire on the Moon its largest, not its smallest, dimension". His account was published as a book called "Of a Fire on the Moon" in 1970. In the UK, it was published with its original article title, "A Fire on the Moon". "Of a Fire on the Moon", published in three installments by "Life" magazine, later becoming a full book, chronicles the U.S. moon launch of 1969 through the eyes of Norman Mailer’s third-person view of himself. Through this third-person view, Mailer describes the space launches from his point of view as seasoned reporter who has seen America ‘come of age’ since the end