## When Did the Idea of Traveling to the Moon Begin?
The idea of traveling to the moon has fascinated humans for centuries. The first recorded instance of someone proposing a journey to the moon was in the 2nd century BC, when the Greek philosopher Lucian wrote the satirical novel “True History.”
In the novel, Lucian describes a group of travelers who build a ship that takes them to the moon. The travelers meet a variety of strange creatures on the moon, including a race of giant ants and a group of men who have been turned to gold by the sun.
Lucian’s novel was not the only work of fiction to feature a journey to the moon. In the 17th century, the English writer Francis Godwin wrote a novel titled “The Man in the Moone.” The novel tells the story of Domingo Gonsales, a Spanish nobleman who builds a flying machine that takes him to the moon.
Gonsales’ journey to the moon is much more realistic than Lucian’s. Godwin describes the moon’s surface in detail, and he even includes a map of the moon. Godwin’s novel was one of the first works of fiction to depict a realistic journey to the moon.
### The First Serious Proposals for a Moon Journey
In the 19th century, the idea of traveling to the moon began to be taken more seriously. In 1865, the French astronomer Jules Verne published the novel “From the Earth to the Moon.” The novel describes a group of scientists who build a cannon that launches them to the moon.
Verne’s novel was one of the first to describe a realistic method for traveling to the moon. Verne’s cannon was based on the real-life experiments of the French inventor Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte. Bonaparte had developed a cannon that could launch a projectile over 7 miles.
Verne’s novel was a huge success, and it helped to popularize the idea of traveling to the moon. In the years that followed, a number of other scientists and engineers proposed plans for moon journeys.
### The Apollo Program
In the 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union began to race to put a man on the moon. The United States eventually won the race, and on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon.
The Apollo program was a major turning point in human history. It proved that it was possible to travel to the moon, and it opened up the possibility of future human missions to other planets.
### The Future of Moon Travel
The United States and the Soviet Union have not sent any humans to the moon since the Apollo program. However, there is renewed interest in moon travel in the 21st century.
A number of private companies, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, are developing plans to send humans back to the moon. China and India are also planning to send humans to the moon in the coming years.
It is still too early to say when humans will next walk on the moon. However, it is clear that the idea of traveling to the moon has never lost its fascination for humans. The moon remains a symbol of our desire to explore, and it is likely that humans will eventually return to the moon in the future.
## Timeline of Moon Travel Proposals
* 2nd century BC: Lucian writes “True History,” the first recorded instance of someone proposing a journey to the moon.
* 17th century: Francis Godwin writes “The Man in the Moone,” one of the first works of fiction to depict a realistic journey to the moon.
* 19th century: Jules Verne publishes “From the Earth to the Moon,” a novel that describes a realistic method for traveling to the moon.
* 1960s: The United States and the Soviet Union race to put a man on the moon.
* 1969: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the moon.
* 21st century: Renewed interest in moon travel, with a number of private companies and countries planning to send humans back to the moon.