The novel “Prelude to Space”, occasionally published as “Master of Space” or “The Space Dreamers”, by Arthur C. Clarke was published for the first time in 1951.

Preparations for the launch of the Prometheus mission have begun. This is a historic moment because it will be the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon, so historian Dirk Alexson is tasked with watching the events and gathering testimonies from the people working on it.

One of Dirk Alexson’s goals is to recount what scientists and engineers working on the project told him in a way that ordinary people can understand. To provide the full story, he follows the various phases of the project, first in England and then in Australia, where the launch will take place.