History Recap / TintinDestinationMoon

* ArtisticLicenseEngineering: While the book portrays realistically the lack of InertialDampening during the take-off, the method chosen by the rocket designers to cushion its anatomical effects on the crew is not the most efficient one, but rather the ''least''. By having the crewmembers laying on their stomach instead of sitting faceup as it is done in real life rockets, they are allowing the acceleration to effectively squeeze their lungs flat between the floor and their own bodies. The outcome shown in the take-off is accurate: everybody being painfully smothered until passing out is pretty much what they would have got in real life.
** Not so much of ArtisticLicense as of ScienceMarchesOn, since it was considered an [[https://www.lostateminor.com/2013/02/18/prone-position-pilot-bed-from-1949-by-u-s-air-forces-air-laboratory/ actual method]] back in late 1940s.

* ArtisticLicenseMilitary: The Syldavian government allows two civilians with no formal training in space flight and a ''dog'' to be "invited" to take part in the biggest and riskiest attempt at manned space flight ever devised. This wouldn't have been out of place had the story been set in the Victorian times a la ''Literature/FromTheEarthToTheMoon'', when the ideal of the GentlemanAdventurer meant many expeditions were privately organized by bored rich men and thus it was usual to see unqualified people in perilous adventures only because they had connections. By the time this story is set in, however, this mentality had been completely phased out and replaced by a more professional approach similar to our modern NASA. But then again, how else were you going to get Tintin and his friends on-board?
** Admittedly, Tintin and Haddock aren't ''that'' unqualified despite being civilians; both have [[Recap/TintinTheShootingStar previous experience being part of a successful scientific expedition]], and the book makes it quite clear they weren't so much "invited" as much as they were recommanded by Calculus for being competent and brave.

* InsultedAwake: Captain Haddock cures Professor Calculus' accidental amnesia by complaining about "acting the goat", a remark that had earlier served as a BerserkButton for Calculus.

* BehindTheBlack: The scene described on the book cover happens a bit differently in the comic: the pictures are only focused on the jeep, carefully excluding the Moon rocket from the frame until the jeep stops at its foot (and at the bottom of a page), leaving Tintin and Haddock looking up in surprise, leaving the reveal of the rocket in its full glory for the heroes and the readers for the next page. In short, it seems as if Calculus drove all the way to the Moon rocket without either Tintin or Haddock apparently noticing it before they are parked almost below it.

* CassandraTruth: It's easy to miss, but the Thom(p)sons display an unusual bout of competence in this story by successfully [[spoiler:capturing the Mole, who had managed to get the drop on Haddock]]. Of course, everybody, including them, thinks it's another of their stupid mistakes when they realise [[spoiler:the person they captured is Calculus' assistant]].

* AscendedExtra: [[spoiler:We didn't know about Jorgen's involvement with the villains and Wolff until the next book. In the Nelvana animated series, we get a new scene showing how they met.]]

* {{Ruritania}}: Syldavia. Previously featured in ''[[Recap/TintinKingOttokarsSceptre King Ottokar's Sceptre]]'' (1939), Syldavia is an atypically detailed version of this trope. It has its own flag, royal dynasty, historical events and even a language created by Hergé. The made-up language, despite being written in Cyrillic script, was remarkably not Slavic but a dialect of Flemish/Dutch with some curious phonetics. In this album Syldavia becomes the setting for a fictionalized space program.

* AscendedExtra: [[spoiler:We didn't know about Jorgen's involvement with the villains and Wolfe until the next book. In the Nelvana animated series, we get a new scene showing how they met.]]

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: It's completely nonsensical that two civilians with no formal training in space flight and a ''dog'' would be "invited" to take part in the biggest, and riskiest, attempt at manned space flight ever devised. But then again, how else are you going to get Tintin and his friends on-board?

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: It's completely nonsensical that two civilians with no formal training in space flight and a ''dog'' would be "invited" to take part in the biggest, and riskiest, attempt at manned space flight ever devised. But sticking Tintin in the control center on Earth would be extremely boring, so he, Snowy and Haddock become passengers.

* MundaneDogmatic: Hergé attempted to ensure that the two space-travel books were scientifically accurate. They reflect space flight ideas and scientific theories of TheFifties. But the rocket engine designed by Calculus works like a slowly exploding nuclear fission bomb. The engine is able to withstand the extreme heat and radiation, since it is made of "calculon", a silicon-based, extremely heat-resistant material also invented by the professor.

* RetroRocket: The Moon-rocket, as seen [[http://www.torpedo-emscher.de/wr/union/rakete/img/tintin_rocket10_.jpg here]]. This is an interesting case as it's combined with a [[ShownTheirWork frighteningly prescient]] depiction of the ColdWar space program. Blueprints and launchpad shown [[http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3p.html#tintin here]]. The rocket's external appearance is based on the German V2.

After returning to Marlinspike following a trip, Tintin and Haddock are surprised to find that Calculus had mysteriously left some time earlier. They immediately receive a telegram from the Professor explaining that he's in Syldavia and asking them to join him there. They do so and are led to a heavily guarded scientific research compound, where they are greeted by Calculus' assistant engineer Frank Wolff and the Professor himself. The latter claims they are in Syldavia's Atomic Research Center, which recruited Calculus for their Astronautical section. Calculus is currently completing plans for a nuclear power rocket that will be able to land on the Moon...and he called Tintin and Haddock so that they will be part of the landing party. Despite both having some misgivings about the plan (especially Haddock) they accept.

* ContinuityNod: The Thom(p)sons are still suffering from eating Formula Fourteen pills in ''Land of Black Gold'', meaning they occasionally burp coloured bubbles and have their hair grow crazily.

* {{Ruritania}}: Syldavia. Previously featured in ''Recap/TintinKingOttokarsSceptre'' (1939), Syldavia is an atypically detailed version ofthis trope. It has its own flag, royal dynasty, historical events and even a language created by Hergé. The made-up language, despite being written in Cyrillic script, was remarkably not Slavic but a dialect of Flemish/Dutch with some curious phonetics. In this album Syldavia becomes the setting for a fictionalized space program.

* SpoilerTitle: The album ends on a CliffHanger as the astronauts have passed out and Earth has lost communication with them. As mission control gets increasingly nervous, the {{Narrator}} asks the reader rhetorically (paraphrased): "Will Tintin and his friends survive this dangerous mission to make it to the moon? Find out in ''[[{{Recap/TintinExplorersOnTheMoon}} Explorers On The Moon''!" The title of the next album points out that they do make it to the Moon.

* RetroRocket: ''{{Tintin}}'s'' rocket from "Recap/TintinDestinationMoon" and "Recap/TintinExplorersOnTheMoon" as seen [[http://www.torpedo-emscher.de/wr/union/rakete/img/tintin_rocket10_.jpg here]]. This is an interesting case as it's combined with a [[ShownTheirWork frighteningly prescient]] depiction of the ColdWar space program. Blueprints and launchpad shown [[http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3p.html#tintin here]].

* SpoilerTitle: The album ends on a CliffHanger as the astronauts have passed out and Earth has lost communication with them. As mission control gets increasingly nervous, the {{Narrator}} asks the reader rhetorically (paraphrased): "Will Tintin and his friends survive this dangerous mission to make it to the moon? Find out in ''Recap/TintinExplorersOnTheMoon''!" The title of the next album points out that they do make it to the Moon.

* DrivesLikeCrazy: Calculus hijacks a military vehicle to go demonstrate the results of his labor to Haddock. He driving skills fit the trope. Though he was enraged with Haddock at this point and not in his right state of mind. He even mentions that he doesn't have a driving license.