From the Earth to the Moon

Shortly after the Civil War, Victor Barbicane unveils Power X, a supposed new explosive more powerful than any prior invention. He stages a demonstration with a small cannon that wrecks Nicholl's material and damages part of the countryside.

New warnings from nervous nations suggest that continuing work on Power X could be an act of war. President Grant requests that Barbicane cease development, and Barbicane agrees.

Barbicane discovers that fragments of Nicholl's metal have been transformed into an extremely strong yet lightweight ceramic. The discovery stirs the possibility of building a spaceship to travel to the Moon.

Emboldened by the ceramic breakthrough, Barbicane resolves to construct a spaceship to reach the Moon, despite earlier warnings. He decides to push ahead with the project.

Barbicane recruits Nicholl to help build the ship, bringing the metallurgical expertise needed to turn the concept into a real mission. The collaboration brings together rival interests for a common goal.

Virginia Nicholl and Barbicane's assistant Ben Sharpe grow attracted to each other, adding a personal subplot to the mission. Their relationship complicates the high-stakes project.

With the project complete, Barbicane, Nicholl, and Sharpe board the spaceship amid fanfare. They lift off to begin their voyage to the Moon, marking a historic step in human exploration.

Once in space, Nicholl reveals that he sabotaged the vessel, believing Barbicane has flouted God's laws. The revelation precipitates a crisis as the crew confronts a potentially doomed mission.

It is discovered that Virginia has secretly boarded the ship. Nicholl reluctantly cooperates with Barbicane to devise a plan to rescue or safeguard her, adding a tense moral dimension to the journey.

Sharpe is knocked out, and he and Virginia are placed in the safest compartment of the ship. Barbicane and Nicholl focus on stabilizing the situation and keeping the mission on track despite the crisis.

Barbicane and Nicholl fire rockets to send the young couple back to Earth, while the two scientists land on the Moon in another section, with no way off. The mission becomes a split endeavor between Earth and the Moon.

Barbicane and Nicholl signal to the couple that they have reached the Moon safely, confirming a successful but divided mission and leaving the fate of the crew, both on Earth and on the Moon, in suspense.