Four-billion dollar door

Old Sam Button has spent his life preparing to become the first man on the Moon. A physicist, missile expert, tireless public speaker, and relentless champion of space travel, he persuades Congress to fund an extraordinary four-billion-dollar mission. He promises military advantage, scientific discovery, and even the possibility of lunar diamonds—anything to make his dream a reality.

Now Sam and his crew are approaching the Moon while millions watch the historic journey on television. The world expects a triumph of science and courage, but the story is being retold by someone who knows that history has left out an important detail: the door. With a wry, conversational voice and a keen eye for the absurd, this classic science-fiction tale follows the grandest adventure of its age toward an outcome that may be less heroic—and considerably funnier—than the official accounts suggest.