Usually called Morrie. Part of Donald Cargraves' rocket crew, licensed as a rocket pilot. He was the official astronomer of the Galileo Marching-and-Chowder Society. His family objected less to his working on the moon rocket than the other boys'. Morrie's uncle, Bernard Abrams, was a surgeon.
Federal ranger in the district where Donald Cargraves acquired the use of rocket testing ground.
Donald Cargraves
Art Mueller's uncle, a noted atomic physicist. He recruited Art, Ross Jenkins, and Morrie Abrams to help him build a moon rocket, overcoming political opposition to complete the project. Not only was the launch a success, but on the Moon he and the boys discovered and defeated a secret Nazi base, returning to Earth as heroes.
Central New Mexico Insane Asylum
Federal ranger Buchanan's name for the proving ground where Donald Cargraves built his moon rocket.
Landing site of the City of Detroit (formerly the Wotan).
First Lunar Expedition
Nazi group that reached the moon and established a base before the Galileo. They bombed that ship after Art Mueller made radio contact with them, to prevent word of their existence reaching Earth. They were part of a plan to re-establish the Third Reich and conquer all of Earth.
Name of the moon rocket built by Donald Cargraves with the help of Art Mueller, Ross Jenkins, and Morrie Abrams. It was destroyed by a Nazi ship after they landed on the moon. Other names proposed for it and rejected include Einstein, Starstruck VI, Pioneer, and Thor.
Ross Jenkins' father, a retired electrical engineer.
Martha Jenkins
Ross Jenkins' mother, who argued in favor of Ross going to the Moon, after initial opposition.
Ross Jenkins
His parents owned the land on which the Galileo Marching-and-Chowder Society tested rockets; he was the Club chemist specializing in rocket fuel. His father initially forbade him to postpone school to go to the Moon with Donald Cargraves, but did allow him to work on the rocket during the summer. After Ross' mother changed her mind, Ross was also permitted to go to the Moon.
Joe (no last name)
The crew's name for the ballistic computer in the Galileo.
Second class sergeant-technician in the Nazi moon base. He was captured in the Galileo crew's counterattack, but was killed by his superior officer to keep him from instructing the Americans in the Nazi moonship's operation.
Member of the Galileo Marching-and-Chowder Society. He and his mother ran a store. A member of Donald Cargraves' crew building and piloting a rocket to the Moon, he was the photographer for the rocket tests as well as a ham radio operator.
Art's late father. He had been sent to a concentration camp by the Nazis for refusing to do research for them. He was released through his American wife's efforts, but died soon after.
[mentioned in passing] Testing ground for rocket pilots.
Starstruck
Series of rockets built and tested by Ross Jenkins. They usually exploded during the test.
Swanson (no first name)
State Patrol sergeant who worked crowd control at the moon rocket launch. He was sympathetic to the Galileo crew; when a process server attempted to stop the launch, he took the man into custody.
Captain Taylor (no first name)
[mentioned in passing] Either a state patrolman or a forest ranger, assigned to the locale where Donald Cargraves built the moon rocket.
Lieutenant colonel and executive officer in the Nazis' First Lunar Expedition. Captured by the Galileo crew after their ship was destroyed, he killed his sergeant to keep him from teaching the Americans how to pilot the Nazi ship but was himself forced to help them.
