Editing Journey into Space (section)

== Original three series ==

=== ''Journey to the Moon''/''Operation Luna'' ===
Initially, the first series was simply known as ''Journey Into Space'', with the subtitle ''A Tale of the Future'' added by the ''[[Radio Times]]'', but within the BBC it became known as ''Journey to the Moon''.<ref name="OL booklet"/> The series was set in 1965 (the year in which Chilton believed humans would first walk on the Moon<ref name="JIS Again"/>), and was first broadcast in 1953–1954 on the [[BBC Light Programme]]. The series was originally intended to have 12 episodes<ref name="OL booklet"/> (one source claims 8 episodes<ref name="OL cassettes"/>), and 5.1 million people tuned into the first episode, but the first four episodes (which took place on Earth) did not prove very popular, and the audience soon shrank to fewer than 4 million.<ref name="OL booklet"/> But once the rocket set off for the Moon in episode 5, the audience reaction was much more favourable. The series was extended to 18 episodes, and by the time the final episode was broadcast, 8 million people were tuning in.<ref name="OL booklet"/>

In 1958, ''Journey to the Moon'' was re-recorded for the [[BBC Transcription Services]] (retitled as ''Operation Luna''), because the original recordings had been erased.<ref name="OL booklet"/> The first four episodes of the original series were omitted, and episodes 12 and 13 were merged into a single episode.<ref name="OL booklet"/> Today, the only surviving recording from the original 1953 series ''Journey to the Moon'' is a 5-minute excerpt from the final episode.<ref name="OL booklet"/>

Faulds, Kingsley Poynter, and [[Deryck Guyler]] were the only actors from ''Journey to the Moon'' to reprise their roles in ''Operation Luna''.

In addition to the [[#The main characters|main characters]], other characters in ''Journey to the Moon'' included:<ref name="OL booklet"/>

{| class="wikitable"
!Actor
!Character
|-
|[[Wilfred Walter]]
|Sir William Morgan
|-
|Robert Perceval
|Mackenzie
|-
|[[Deryck Guyler]]
|The Time-Traveller ("The Voice")
|-
|[[David Jacobs (broadcaster)|David Jacobs]]
|Miscellaneous characters
|-
|[[John Cazabon]]
|Earth Control
|-
|[[Alan Keith]] (*)
|London correspondent
|-
|Duncan McIntyre
|Jet's great uncle, Hector
|-
|[[Mark Baker (animator)|Mark Baker]]
|
|-
|Errol McKinnon
|
|-
|Jessica Dunning
|
|-
|Wyndham Milligan
|
|}
(*) Alan Keith (born Alec Kossoff) was the brother of David Kossoff, who played Lemmy.

Chilton wrote episode 8 of ''Journey to the Moon'' in response to a challenge from a TV producer, who considered the success of the series to be "a fluke". The producer challenged Chilton to write an episode "that could not be played equally well on television", and Chilton succeeded – a large proportion of the episode takes place in total darkness.<ref name="JIS Again"/> During the episode, Jet reads to the rest of the crew by torchlight from ''[[The First Men in the Moon]]'' by [[H. G. Wells]], the only work of fiction carried on board the ship.<ref name="JIS Again"/>

Andrew Faulds's adopted uncle, Hector MacPherson, was an astronomer, and wrote a book called ''Practical Astronomy''. Chilton bought a copy of the book, which first sparked his interest in astronomy, and later led him to write ''Journey Into Space''. In episode 7 of ''Journey to the Moon'', Jet's childhood flashback features his great uncle Hector, who was based on Hector MacPherson.<ref name="JIS Again"/>

In November 1957, Chilton wrote an episode of the [[BBC School Radio]] science series ''Our Own and Other Worlds'', titled "A Trip to the Moon", which featured edited material from episodes 5 and 6 of ''Journey to the Moon''.<ref name="TWIP booklet">{{Cite AV media notes |first=Andrew |last=Pixley |title=Journey Into Space: The World in Peril |year=2005 |url=http://www.audible.co.uk/journey/theworldinperil.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325122614/http://www.audible.co.uk/journey/theworldinperil.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009 |type=Booklet |publisher=[[BBC Audiobooks]] |location=Bath |isbn=978-1405669900}}</ref>

The table below indicates the correspondence between the episodes of ''Journey to the Moon'' and ''Operation Luna''.<ref name="OL booklet"/>

{| class="wikitable"
!colspan="2" |''Journey to the Moon''
!colspan="2" |''Operation Luna''
!rowspan="2" |Brief plot summary
|-
!Episode
!First broadcast
!Episode
!First broadcast
|-
|align="center" |1
|align="center" |21 Sep 1953
|align="center" |–
|align="center" |–
|The year is 1965, and Jet's father (Sir William Morgan) launches his A.24 rocket from the Rocket Research Station at Poker Flats. But something goes wrong, and the rocket heads towards Las Vegas, out of control.
|-
|align="center" |2
|align="center" |28 Sep 1953
|align="center" |–
|align="center" |–
|The rocket hits Las Vegas, killing at least 35 people, and the Poker Flats site is shut down. Meanwhile, Jet is invited by Mitch to join his Operation Luna project – a rocket to reach the Moon.
|-
|align="center" |3
|align="center" |5 Oct 1953
|align="center" |–
|align="center" |–
|Jet is appointed the rocket's pilot, and he and Lemmy travel to Australia to meet Mitch at the secret Operation Luna base. On arrival, Mitch takes them to meet Smitty, the team's doctor, but he is found dead.
|-
|align="center" |4
|align="center" |12 Oct 1953
|align="center" |–
|align="center" |–
|Doc Matthews replaces Smitty (who died from a coronary), and Lemmy is to be the radio operator. Mitch spots a plane flying around the launch site, suspects spies are active, and advances the launch date.
|-
|align="center" |5
|align="center" |19 Oct 1953
|align="center" |1
|align="center" |26 Mar 1958
|The rocket ''Luna'' sets off for the Moon with Jet, Doc, Mitch and Lemmy aboard. Radio contact with Earth is lost. Lemmy hears odd 'music' on the radio, before contact is resumed, and a tiny meteor hits ''Luna''. No damage is sustained, but Lemmy hears the strange music again outside the ship and panics.
|-
|align="center" |6
|align="center" |26 Oct 1953
|align="center" |2
|align="center" |2 Apr 1958
|''Luna'' is turned round for the Moon landing, and Lemmy hears the 'music' again during the final approach. The crew narrate their first moonwalk by radio to Earth on 22 October 1965. While exploring a crater, Jet unaccountably vanishes from sight.
|-
|align="center" |7
|align="center" |2 Nov 1953
|align="center" |3
|align="center" |9 Apr 1958
|The crew experience strange things: Jet has visions of the past and the future; Lemmy is disturbed by the 'music' again; Doc sees a strange dome over a crater, and writes an odd diary entry without realising. Their last week on the Moon passes without incident, but as they prepare to leave for home, the ship completely loses all power.
|-
|align="center" |8
|align="center" |9 Nov 1953
|align="center" |4
|align="center" |16 Apr 1958
|The crew are stuck on the Moon and unable to trace what has caused the power failure. A fortnight passes, with the air temperature rising uncomfortably in the absence of air-conditioning. A [[Unidentified flying object|UFO]] is seen on the televiewer on the seventh day, and strange noises are heard on the tenth. When they are left with just enough oxygen to reach home, power is suddenly restored to the ship, and the UFO is seen to have landed outside.
|-
|align="center" |9
|align="center" |16 Nov 1953
|align="center" |5
|align="center" |23 Apr 1958
|Mitch is inquisitive and enters the UFO, where he is temporarily possessed by an alien intelligence. ''Luna'' takes off and orbits the Moon; on the far side, the crew encounter a fleet of UFOs, which pursues them.
|-
|align="center" |10
|align="center" |23 Nov 1953
|align="center" |6
|align="center" |30 Apr 1958
|The UFOs accelerate ''Luna'' to an incredible speed, and the crew blacks out. On recovering, they find themselves out in deep space, with no sign of the Earth or Moon. In the distance, a planet is approaching.
|-
|align="center" |11
|align="center" |30 Nov 1953
|align="center" |7
|align="center" |7 May 1958
|The crew land ''Luna'' on the planet and discover that it shares many of Earth's characteristics – oxygen atmosphere, drinkable water, carbon-based vegetation and ice-caps at both the poles. After studying the stars one night, Jet deduces that they in fact ''are'' on Earth, but that they've travelled thousands of years through time.
|-
|align="center" |12
|align="center" |7 Dec 1953
|rowspan="2" align="center" |8
|rowspan="2" align="center" |14 May 1958
|rowspan="2" |Jet discovers a prehistoric stone knife near ''Luna'', suggesting that they've travelled ''back'' in time; but there is some confusion over this when the crew discover the tracks of a great tank-like machine near their ship. One morning, a UFO exactly like the one seen on the Moon lands nearby, and a voice is heard over the radio: "Hello Luna!"
|-
|align="center" |13
|align="center" |14 Dec 1953
|-
|align="center" |14
|align="center" |21 Dec 1953
|align="center" |9
|align="center" |21 May 1958
|The crew talk with 'the voice'. They learn that the strange music they've been hearing is generated by a strange, omnipresent power that 'the voice' and his people use to drive their ships. 'The voice' warns them that they are in great danger, and persuades them to enter the UFO, which takes off. Eventually it lands again, in a city of domed buildings.
|-
|align="center" |15
|align="center" |29 Dec 1953
|align="center" |10
|align="center" |28 May 1958
|They learn more about 'the voice' and his people – they are a peaceful, scientific race from the opposite side of the universe. They learnt to travel through time when their solar system was threatened by its expanding sun. The crew explore the city, and are disturbed by a close encounter with a sabre-toothed tiger. Fortunately, the creature does not attack them, but they now realise that they have travelled back through time instead of forward. They enter a domed building, walk down a long dark tunnel, and emerge in a huge underground city. They are invited into another building to meet 'the voice', but are terrified by what they find inside...
|-
|align="center" |16
|align="center" |5 Jan 1954
|align="center" |11
|align="center" |4 Jun 1958
|'The voice' consoles the crew, who are embarrassed by their shock, and guides them to another dome where they are given a meal and beds to sleep in. Next morning, 'the voice' tells the crew about the Earth's native 'forest creatures', destructive and hostile animals, and promises to help the crew get back to their own time. While preparing ''Luna'' for take-off, the crew are horrified to realise that the 'forest creatures' are, in fact, prehistoric humans.
|-
|align="center" |17
|align="center" |12 Jan 1954
|align="center" |12
|align="center" |11 Jun 1958
|'The voice' is not pleased to learn that the crew are descended from the 'forest creatures', but in the end agrees to help them as arranged. ''Luna'' takes off and is accelerated by the UFOs; the crew blacks out. They start to ponder on the nature of time, and become concerned about their shortage of fuel, and whether they will remember their adventures when they reach their own time.
|-
|align="center" |18
|align="center" |19 Jan 1954
|align="center" |13
|align="center" |18 Jun 1958
|The crew successfully return to the Moon in 1965, but with no memory of their adventure on prehistoric Earth. However, their rations have been replaced by water and an unknown bread-like substance; Doc's diary contains a detailed account; and there's a prehistoric stone knife on board ''Luna''...
|}

=== ''The Red Planet'' ===
[[File:Radio Times 5 Dec 1954.jpg|thumb|right|140px|''Journey Into Space'' featured on the cover of the ''[[Radio Times]]''.]] <!-- FAIR USE of Radio_Times_5_Dec_1954.jpg: see image description page at [[:en:Image:Radio_Times_5_Dec_1954.jpg]] for rationale -->

The second series, ''The Red Planet'', followed the adventures of the crew in their first attempt to reach and explore [[Mars]]. Several new characters were introduced, the most notable of which were Frank Rogers and James Edward Whitaker, the two original crewmen of freighter #2. Chilton took the name Whitaker from a copy of ''[[Whitaker's Almanack]]'' which was sitting on his desk.<ref name="TRP booklet"/>

In addition to the [[#The main characters|main characters]], other characters in ''The Red Planet'' included:<ref name="TRP booklet"/>

{| class="wikitable"
!Actor
!Character(s)
|-
|[[David Jacobs (broadcaster)|David Jacobs]]
|Frank Rogers and miscellaneous characters
|-
|[[Anthony Marriott]]
|James Edward Whitaker
|-
|[[Miriam Karlin]]
|Mrs Barnet (Lemmy's mother)
|-
|[[John Cazabon]]
|Australian control voice, dingo hunter, flying doctor, John Bodie (sheep farmer), Bill Webster
|-
|[[Madi Hedd]] (*)
|Martha Bodie (sheep farmer's wife)
|-
|[[Don Sharp]]
|Sam (factory controller)
|}

(*) Married to Bruce Beeby, who played Mitch.

The most memorable [[catchphrase]] from this series was "Orders must be obeyed without question at all times", which was often repeated by many of the 'conditioned' characters, especially Whitaker. Episode 19 of the series rated a 17% audience share, whereas the newsreel broadcast simultaneously on BBC TV had an audience share of 16%. This was the last time that a radio show achieved a higher rating than its TV opponent.<ref name="TRP booklet"/>

During the first broadcast of this series, the ''[[Radio Times]]'' featured ''Journey Into Space'' on its cover, showing Andrew Faulds as Captain "Jet" Morgan. His spacesuit (which was used by several of the cast members for publicity photos) was a prototype being developed in Britain at the time.<ref name="TRP booklet"/>

During the recording of ''The Red Planet'', Guy Kingsley Poynter was also starring in ''[[The Teahouse of the August Moon (play)|The Teahouse of the August Moon]]'' at [[Her Majesty's Theatre]].<ref name="TRP booklet"/>

The [[British Empire Exhibition]] was referred to throughout the episodes.

In the table of episodes below, the numbers marked with # refer to the numbered freighters of the Mars fleet.

{| class="wikitable"
!Episode
!First broadcast
!Brief plot summary
|-
|align="center" |1
|align="center" |6 Sep 1954
|April 1971. Jet and Mitch travel from Earth to the Moon by rocket. The Mars fleet (the flagship ''Discovery'', 8 freighters and 20 men) begins its journey. During an [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]], Mitch's safety line fails, leaving him adrift.
|-
|align="center" |2
|align="center" |13 Sep 1954
|Jet manages to rescue Mitch, using a miniature rocket unit. Frank Rogers, of #2, tells Lemmy he's not getting on at all well with Whitaker, his shipmate. Later, Control requests information about Whitaker; and Whitaker starts behaving very strangely while Jet is questioning him.
|-
|align="center" |3
|align="center" |20 Sep 1954
|While Whitaker is in a strange deep sleep, both Frank and Lemmy have nightmares. Radar suddenly reveals a huge meteor swarm ahead of the fleet, blocking its path. Just as Lemmy escorts Whitaker to his new ship, #7, a large meteor destroys the ship.
|-
|align="center" |4
|align="center" |27 Sep 1954
|Control discovers very odd information about Whitaker - the only man answering to his description was apparently born in 1893, and has been missing since 1924. The fleet changes course twice to avoid the meteor swarm, but both times it moves to block their path again. The crew realise they have only one option: to head straight through the swarm. 
|-
|align="center" |5
|align="center" |4 Oct 1954
|The fleet enters the swarm, and for nearly 7 hours all electronic equipment is badly disrupted. Peterson reports an emergency on board #6 with Whitaker. On leaving the swarm, #6 is nowhere to be seen, and the swarm is now blocking radio contact with Control. Two weeks later, ''Discovery'' apparently re-establishes contact with home, but as they prepare to take an important message, the crew are puzzled by the short delay between replies.
|-
|align="center" |6
|align="center" |11 Oct 1954
|A radio message (apparently from Control) orders the fleet to return home. However, a bearing on the radio signal reveals the transmitter to be somewhere in front of the fleet, thus proving the message to be a fake. #6 is sighted ahead of the fleet, and Discovery draws up alongside it. Jet decides they must enter the ship to investigate. 
|-
|align="center" |7
|align="center" |18 Oct 1954
|Jet and Doc transfer to #6, and Whitaker is found badly injured in the ship's hold, but Peterson has vanished. Jet has a strange dream, and Whitaker dies from his injuries, suddenly transforming into an old man. Recording tapes found in the cabin confirm the crew's suspicions that Whitaker faked the radio message. Discovery and #6 both rejoin the fleet, and Jet and Lemmy are shocked to hear Peterson's voice on the radio. 
|-
|align="center" |8
|align="center" |25 Oct 1954
|Peterson's voice was actually a forgotten tape playing on the recording machine. Peterson's suicide recording is heard, and radio contact with Control is restored. The fleet finally enters orbit round Mars, and Discovery lands at the South Pole, but a strange soporific noise troubles the crew and causes them to crash-land.
|-
|align="center" |9
|align="center" |1 Nov 1954
|Jet reveals that the strange noise caused him to black out, but the crew are all safe. #1 lands alongside Discovery, and Jet and Mitch explore outside. Whilst conducting experiments, they soon get lost in a dense fog. They see a mysterious orange light, mistaking it for the landing light of the Discovery, and the same soporific noise heard during the landing causes them to lose consciousness.
|-
|align="center" |10
|align="center" |8 Nov 1954
|Doc and Frank rescue Jet and Mitch using a land transport truck, and Jet says he dreamed of a ruined city in a valley. ''Discovery'''s crew begin the exploration of Mars in the land trucks, whilst Freighter #2 begins to ferry supplies down from the fleet in orbit. However, on its second trip down, the freighter pilot hears the soporific noise and the ship apparently crashes.
|-
|align="center" |11
|align="center" |15 Nov 1954
|Racing to reach the crashed freighter before sunset, the Discovery's crew reaches the Mare Australis, the plain north of the ice cap. After nightfall, they see a mysterious white light moving across the plain. In the morning, they spot the crashed freighter, but upon reaching it find its crew missing. However, there are strange marks in the ground nearby which Jet deduces to belong to "the light", realising that a ship has visited and kidnapped the freighter crew. Jet resolves to change the exploration route and go after the ship. 
|-
|align="center" |12
|align="center" |22 Nov 1954
|The ''Discovery'' crew travel west across the Mare Australis in pursuit of the mysterious ship. Meanwhile, Frank and Grimshaw, currently crew members of Freighter #1, reach the wrecked #2 and take up residence for the night. However, during the night, a 'sphere' (spherical UFO) arrives and its crew attempt to enter the wreck. Whilst observing the crew, Frank realises they are human. A few days later, Discovery's crew reach a valley in the Argyre Desert, and Jet spots a city which is identical to the one in his earlier dream.
|-
|align="center" |13
|align="center" |29 Nov 1954
|''Discovery'''s crew explore the valley's ruined city, but Lemmy vanishes, and experiences a hypnotic dream. He's later found with McLean (pilot of #2), who is now mysteriously able to breathe the Martian atmosphere without a helmet.
|-
|align="center" |14
|align="center" |6 Dec 1954
|Jet and Doc return Lemmy to the caravans, and Doc deduces that Whitaker and McLean had been 'conditioned' (hypnotised), allowing them to be controlled, as well as breathe in the Martian atmosphere. Mitch becomes separated from the others, and meets a man who claims to be a dingo hunter in Australia. Meanwhile McLean, disguised in Mitch's spacesuit, enters the caravan and confronts Lemmy. 
|-
|align="center" |15
|align="center" |13 Dec 1954
|McLean reveals that only two of his three crew mates survived the crash, and declares that Mitch is alive but will never return to the fleet or Earth. He then tries to overpower but Lemmy wins the fight. The sphere is spotted on top of the city, but takes off with Jet, Lemmy and Doc in pursuit again. Meanwhile, Mitch, lost in the desert and now able to breathe the Martian atmosphere, comes across a house inhabited by a man and woman, who claim to be sheep farmers living in Australia in 1939. Driven to a frenzy, Mitch demands explanations, only for the farmer to turn his rifle on him. 
|-
|align="center" |16
|align="center" |20 Dec 1954
|Jet, Doc and Lemmy discover the farm house, and find Mitch inside it. But Mitch is now 'conditioned' to believe he's in Australia, and doesn't recognise the others. He refuses to rejoin them, and attacks Jet, puncturing his helmet. As the others work to save him, the sphere lands outside and the crew are trapped. 
|-
|align="center" |17
|align="center" |27 Dec 1954
|A 'flying doctor' has arrived in the sphere, with Dobson and Harding of #2 'conditioned' and working as his assistants. Although Jet successfully escapes back to the land trucks, the doctor manages to capture Doc and Lemmy. He tries to 'condition' them using the soporific noise, but they manage to resist. They find themselves being taken to a much larger Martian city. 
|-
|align="center" |18
|align="center" |3 Jan 1955
|Jet sets out after the sphere again, having ordered McLean to follow him in the second caravan. Meanwhile, the sphere arrives at [[Solis Lacus|Lacus Solis]] (the Martian capital), and the flying doctor reveals the Martian plan to invade the Earth in 1986. Lemmy overpowers the doctor in a struggle, and he and Doc contact Frank, who is searching for them in #1. Through him, they pass their news to Jet, but then Frank hears the soporific noise and his freighter crashes.
|-
|align="center" |19
|align="center" |10 Jan 1955
|Doc and Lemmy escape the city in the sphere with Mitch, who starts to recover from his 'conditioning', but can only remember being two weeks away from reaching Mars. Meanwhile, Jet is contacted by Webster, a man trying to return to Earth, and learns more about the Martians. Webster offers to help Jet find his lost crew mates, but while travelling across the desert, they spot a sphere hovering above them. 
|-
|align="center" |20
|align="center" |17 Jan 1955
|The sphere turns out to be Doc and Lemmy's, and ''Discovery'' crew are fully reunited at last thanks to advice from Webster, Mitch completes his recovery. Jet, Lemmy and Webster try to rescue Frank and Grimshaw from an underground factory, but they cannot be reached, and during a fight with the factory supervisor, Webster is injured and dies. The crew return to ''Discovery'' at the North Pole, and take off for home, escaping a pursuing fleet of spheres. Their news of the upcoming Martian invasion is passed to Earth, causing great commotion. They land back on the Moon six months later, but what happens next is another story... 
|}

=== ''The World in Peril'' ===

The third series was a direct continuation of the story begun in ''The Red Planet'', and followed Jet Morgan and his crew's return to Mars in an attempt to avert the impending Martian invasion.

In addition to the [[#The main characters|main characters]], other characters in ''The World in Peril'' included:<ref name="TWIP booklet"/>

{| class="wikitable"
!Actor
!Character
|-
|[[David Jacobs (broadcaster)|David Jacobs]]
|Frank Rogers and miscellaneous characters
|-
|[[Alan Tilvern]]
|Jack Evans (lunar controller)
|-
|[[John Cazabon]]
|Jenkins (rocket station supervisor)
|-
|[[Fred Yule]]
|Mr Moore
|-
|Pat Campbell
|Paddy Flynn
|}

During the recording of ''The World in Peril'', Alfie Bass was also starring in the revue ''The Punch Bowl'' at the [[Dorset Garden Theatre|Duke of York's Theatre]].<ref name="TWIP booklet"/>

{| class="wikitable"
!Episode
!First broadcast
!Brief plot summary
|-
|align="center" |1
|align="center" |26 Sep 1955
|15 April 1972. The ''Discovery'' and two freighters return to the Moon from the disastrous Mars expedition. The crew are subjected to intense questioning about their experiences on Mars, and Lemmy discovers that the ''Discovery'' is being readied for take off. Back on Earth, they visit an astronomical observer who has spotted suspicious objects in the heavens.
|-
|align="center" |2
|align="center" |3 Oct 1955
|Jet and Lemmy go to investigate the objects in an orbital rocket, but are sent to sleep for 24 hours by a strange noise. Film footage suggests the asteroids are actually spacecraft carriers. Jet discovers that a spaceship has crashed in the Lake District. Jet and Doc enter the ship.
|-
|align="center" |3
|align="center" |10 Oct 1955
|The crew and the Lunar Controller try to locate the crew of the crashed ship. They interview Moore, a commercial traveller who may have had contact with the crew of the ship, who recounts his experience. The crew are ordered back to Mars and are driven to an airfield, but the car crashes when the crew tackle the 'Conditioned Type' driver.
|-
|align="center" |4
|align="center" |17 Oct 1955
|The crew fly to Australia, then on a ship to the Moon. While preparing for the voyage to Mars, they spot unidentified objects on the lunar horizon. The take off is complicated by strange communication with control, suggesting the Moon base has been infiltrated.
|-
|align="center" |5
|align="center" |24 Oct 1955
|The Discovery gets away safely; however, they cannot establish contact with Moon control, so Lemmy contacts Earth. After ships from Earth to the Moon are lost, the crew concludes that the Moon has fallen under Martian control. While refuelling from freighter #1, Jet and Lemmy hear a strange wailing voice.
|-
|align="center" |6
|align="center" |31 Oct 1955
|The crew slow the ship down, and discuss where on Mars to land and the objectives of the trip. They regain contact with the strange voice, discovering it is a very confused Frank Rogers, ex-crew man of Freighter #2.
|-
|align="center" |7
|align="center" |7 Nov 1955
|Thinking Frank may be there, the crew decide to land near the wreck of freighter #2, but Jet and Mitch discover it to be empty. From the Discovery, Doc and Lemmy spot a fleet of Martian spheres approaching.
|-
|align="center" |8
|align="center" |14 Nov 1955
|Jet and Mitch fail to make it back to ''Discovery'', and the crew all pass out as the ships approach. They wake up in a dark room and figure that they must be on one of the moons of Mars. They discover an unconscious man in the room, that Jet is missing, and a door in the floor opens.
|-
|align="center" |9
|align="center" |21 Nov 1955
|Jet is found under his bed and the unconscious man is found to be Frank Rogers. Doc tries to bring Frank out of his conditioned state, and he reveals that the invasion is under way. Jet and Lemmy go through the floor, and are directed by the voice of Paddy Flynn.
|-
|align="center" |10
|align="center" |28 Nov 1955
|Frank regains some of his memory, revealing that the crew are aboard an asteroid ship. Jet and Lemmy meet Paddy face to face, and he reveals that he is the rebel captain of the asteroid, working with Jack Evans. Paddy receives orders to have the asteroid join the invasion fleet.
|-
|align="center" |11
|align="center" |5 Dec 1955
|Paddy leaves the crew, who learn how to manipulate the 'visionphone'. As Mitch and Frank follow them along a circular corridor using the cameras, Jet, Lemmy and Doc hear a voice they assume to be a Martian, ordering them back.
|-
|align="center" |12
|align="center" |12 Dec 1955
|Jet, Lemmy and Doc ignore the Martian's warnings to turn back, and Jet is knocked out after touching a door at the end of the corridor. The crew persuades Paddy to set the ship on course for Mars, so they can warn Earth of the invasion. However, he loses control, and is injured.
|-
|align="center" |13
|align="center" |19 Dec 1955
|The asteroid is in chaos and the crew discover Asteroid 786/738 is on its way to sort it out. Mitch and Lemmy go to fetch a bed for Paddy, but become lost and enter the Martian's lair. They hear a familiar voice but can't place it. Paddy dies, and Mitch and Lemmy discover that Jack Evans is really the Lunar Controller, who has been in league with the Martians from the start.
|-
|align="center" |14
|align="center" |26 Dec 1955
|The Lunar Controller tells Mitch and Lemmy that the invasion will be facilitated by a hypnotic television broadcast. Jet and Doc go on a search for the others, and follow conditioned crew members onto the asteroid surface. Wearing Martian suits, they investigate a large sphere, but become stranded on the surface.
|-
|align="center" |15
|align="center" |2 Jan 1956
|While the Lunar Controller is away, Jet and Doc enter his quarters from the asteroid surface. Mitch and Lemmy explain what has happened to them, and they hatch a plan to imprison the Lunar Controller and escape.
|-
|align="center" |16
|align="center" |9 Jan 1956
|The crew imprison the Lunar Controller, and gain his assistance by threatening to release him into space. Lemmy smashes up the computerised brain, to stop messages being sent to the rest of the Martian fleet. Frank pilots the ship as they escape the asteroid and set course for Mars, but they discover the Discovery to have been plundered.
|-
|align="center" |17
|align="center" |16 Jan 1956
|They head into orbit, transfer to Freighter #1 and, using a modified radio transmitter, attempt to contact Earth, but they cannot get their warning about the invasion through. They spot the asteroid invasion fleet approaching them from behind.  Jet decides to use all remaining fuel to set on course for Earth, in order to increase their chances of warning Earth of the invasion.
|-
|align="center" |18
|align="center" |23 Jan 1956
|The asteroid fleet increases speed and overtakes Freighter #1. Jet records a warning to Earth, to be transmitted on a loop. Attempts to hypnotise the crew fail, so the Martian contacts the crew using their voices. Freighter #1 crashes onto the surface of a large asteroid.
|-
|align="center" |19
|align="center" |30 Jan 1956
|Lemmy fails to contact Earth, but they are contacted by the Martian who tells them to enter the asteroid ship. The Martian reveals that he is the only one left of a race of giants, and explains his reasons for the invasion. A crew from the asteroid, including ex-freighter man Harding, forcibly remove the crew from Freighter #1.
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|align="center" |20
|align="center" |6 Feb 1956
|The crew are shown to luxurious quarters aboard the asteroid, and cruise to Earth as part of the invasion fleet. They are ordered to the Martian's quarters, where they are dismayed to discover that Earth has not followed their instruction to shut down all television channels. Depressed by their failure, they watch as the Martian fleet begins to orbit the Earth. As they wait for the Martian's broadcast, the set goes dead. They are overjoyed to learn that the channels have at last been shut down. The Martian peacefully accepts defeat and allows all those in his command to return to Earth. A considerable number, however, choose to remain in the Martian's fleet, and to establish a perfect civilisation in another solar system, free from persecution, hunger, misgovernment and war.
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