Back to the Moon Back to the Moon Back to the Moon is a science fiction novel and Homer Hickam's first fictional book. Published in June 1999, Hickam wrote Back to the Moon using insider information he learned from NASA. The prologue of the novel begins with a dramatized account of the second EVA of Apollo 17. Astronaut Jack Schmitt discovers orange soil in Shorty Crater at the very end of the EVA and gathers samples in a race against time to get back to the LEM. Meanwhile, Wernher von Braun is watching the end of the mission on TV with other NASA engineers.
Stowaway to the Moon (film) E.J. the idea of stowing away on the upcoming moon launch. The astronauts then contact Charlie Englehardt, the flight director. Englehardt tells the crew that the mission is scrubbed, but when the world learns about the stowaway, a scientist urges that the mission continue because it is the only planned visit to the Rupes Altai. E.J. apologizes for his stunt on live television and asks that his actions not jeopardize the crew's important mission. Englehardt recognizes that E.J. has persuaded the public to continue the mission, and reluctantly gives his consent for the planned Moon landing. E.J. helps clean the