Pathfinders in Space The Pathfinders in Space trilogy was a series of three distinctly - named children ' s television programmes — plus a prequel — that ran from 1960 - 1 . The plots focused on exploration of the Moon , Mars and Venus . They were produced by Sydney Newman and written by Malcolm Hulke and Eric Paice . There was also a prequel series ( starring Michael Craze ) that has been lost . The series is considered one of the three central influences on " Doctor Who " , the others being and . Target Luna ( Prequel ) . According to " The Pathfinders in Space Series Guide " by Andrew Pixley , this serial followed the three children of Prof . Norman Wedgewood ( David Markham ) , Geoffrey ( Michael Craze ) , Valerie ( Sylvia Davies ) and Jimmy ( Michael Hammond ) , after their arrival on the Buchan Island Rocket Research Station . When Flight - Lieutenant Williams ( William Ingram ) becomes ill just before the first mission to orbit the Moon is about to blast off , Jimmy , the youngest of the three children , sneaks into the rocket with his pet hamster , Hamlet , and accidentally launches himself into space . Once in orbit , Jimmy must face several challenges , including the frigid cold of outer - space , loss of communication with the ground crew , cosmic particles and re - entry . In the end , Jimmy survives and returns to Earth . These events are covered by a reporter named Henderson ( ) , who would become one of the leading characters in subsequent serials . These events are recounted and briefly summarised in episode one of " Pathfinders in Space " . Michael Craze was 17 years old when he played the part of Geoffrey . A publicity photo of him and his co - stars can be found at http : / / www . televisionheaven . co . uk / targetluna . jpg All three children would be recast for " Pathfinders in Space " . Six years after " Target Luna " , Craze was cast as Able Seaman Ben Jackson in TV : " The War Machines " . This serial consisted of six episodes , thirty minutes each , and were broadcast on Sunday afternoons in the spring of 1960 . All six episodes are lost . " Pathfinders in Space " . This serial , as well as its two sequels , have been released on DVD . " Pathfinders to Mars " . Henderson ( Gerald Flood ) fills in for an injured Prof . Wedgewood on an imminent rocket trip to the Moon . He recruits the help of Geoffrey Wedgewood ( Stewart Guidotti ) as radio operator as well as his niece , Margaret ( Hester Cameron ) . Already on the mission is Prof . Mary Meadows ( Pamela Barney ) ; the last crew member is a Prof . Hawkins ( Bernard Horsfall ) , who is arriving from Australia just before take - off . However , Hawkins in intercepted at the airport by a man ( George Coulouris ) who assumes his identity and boards the rocket . The design of the interior of the rocket may have had a partial influence on the design of the TARDIS walls . Some of the bulkheads are decorated with circles organised in columns . " Pathfinders to Venus " . " to be added " Sequels . While there were no outright sequels to this trilogy , some of the actors returned in the ABC productions " Plateau Of Fear " , " City Beneath The Sea " and " Secret Beneath The Sea " .