Rocket Ship Galileo was published by Charles Scribner’s Sons in 1947 and is the first of Heinlein’s twelve Scribner’s juveniles — the series that defined young adult science fiction for a generation. Three teenage boys and their nuclear physicist uncle build a rocket, fly to the Moon, and discover a secret base maintained by surviving Nazis planning a nuclear attack on Earth.
The novel’s science is characteristically Heinlein: meticulously detailed and (for 1947) plausible. The rocket uses atomic power; the boys’ technical competence is central to the plot. The Nazi antagonists date the novel to its era, but the core appeal — teenagers building a rocket and going to the Moon through their own technical skill — is timeless.
The Scribner’s Juveniles
Rocket Ship Galileo was the first of twelve juvenile novels Heinlein wrote for Charles Scribner’s Sons between 1947 and 1958. The editor, Alice Dalgliesh, pushed Heinlein to write clearly, to eliminate jargon, and to make the science accessible. The resulting series — which includes Space Cadet, Red Planet, Farmer in the Sky, Starman Jones, The Star Beast, Tunnel in the Sky, Time for the Stars, Citizen of the Galaxy, and Have Space Suit—Will Travel — defined young adult science fiction and introduced an entire generation of readers to the genre.
Collecting Rocket Ship Galileo
First edition (Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1947): Blue cloth with Scribner’s “A” on copyright page. Dust jacket by Thomas Voter.
Approximate market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $3,000–$8,000
- Very good: $1,000–$3,000
- Without jacket: $200–$500
As the first Heinlein juvenile, it has significant bibliographic importance beyond its literary merits.
Value trajectory (2016–2026): Strong appreciation.
Projected values (2026–2036): Fine copies should reach $8,000–$15,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Nazis on the Moon realistic? The premise was less absurd in 1947 than it sounds today — the question of what happened to escaped Nazis was very much alive, and the idea that they might have established a secret base was not entirely ridiculous to a readership that had just watched V-2 rockets land on London. The concept was later echoed in the 2012 film Iron Sky.
Is this a good starting point for Heinlein? For the juveniles, Have Space Suit—Will Travel or Citizen of the Galaxy are better entry points. Rocket Ship Galileo is of historical interest as the first but is less polished than the later entries.