The unloading of the cargo ship on the plain of Sinus Roris.

This panoramic view of the lunar surface featured as the lead image of the "Man on the Moon: The Exploration" article in the 25 October 1952 issue of Collier's. This was the concluding chapter of the Man on the Moon sequence in the famous "Man Will Conquer Space Soon!" series (which included the inset article by Willy Ley on the inside of the lunar lander, see preceding lot). This painting was captioned: "Within 24 hours after landing, supplies have been stowed in caterpillar tractors. Hold of cargo ship (right) is being lowered to ground in sections, to be used as prefabricated headquarters. Earth is at center: halo effect is caused by the sun, hidden by sphere of rocket ship at left. Diagonal streak in sky, the zodiacal light, is caused by the sun's rays reflecting from cosmic dust. The red star at left is Mars."

Four astronauts can be seen working on the caterpillar tractors, with many more seen as tiny figures beneath the three huge rocket ships in the background. They are unloading equipment for a six-week stay at Sinus Roris, on the northern edge of the Ocean of Storms. At this point, the authors imagined that base camp would have to be made in a lunar crevice, to protect against cosmic radiation and meteorites.