Hi, Alexander! Recently you wrote in a message to All:
In English, if an American has flown to Moon --
does it mean he has been there? For instance, Apollo
13 was on its way to the Moon, but it had not been
on the Moon. Or we should make the information more
exact and say "he has been on the Moon". Is "on the
Moon" legal?
I don't know of any jurisdiction where... as Henry Higgins put it... "the cold-blooded murder of the English tongue" is an indictable offence. You could say "acceptable" or "permissible" in a question like this, however. :-Q
If Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in 1989 I see no problem with saying Apollo 11 went to the moon or that he has been there. If... as someone in another echo claims... the incident was filmed in a Hollywood movie studio, I'd say this person allegedly walked on the moon.
I imagine you've also read news reports about an aeroplane which was en route to SomePlace Else when it crash-landed in the ocean. I gather Apollo 13 was on its way to the moon, but never actually arrived on the moon.... :-)
--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)