Space Race Didn't End



President Richard Milhous Nixon was not the biggest supporter of the space race with the Soviet Union. It was known (in OTL) as he entered the Presidency that he wanted to cut the Apollo missions as soon as possible. He felt that it was a waste of money and he wanted to concentate on the Vietnam War and the poor economy that he had just inherited. President Nixon was also very anti communist, as most politicians were at the time. President Nixon is best know for the Watergate Scandal and for possible being paranoid (mostly about getting re-elected). What if this paranoia fueled his anti communism and he was paranoid about losing the Space race.What if he had a change of heart in regards to the space race and wanted to win no matter what. And this not Watergate is what stands out in his Presidency. It is his leadership in the Space Race that changed the world and opened space to humanity.

1966
POD: Soviet Chief Designer and leading architect of it space program Sergei Korolev enters a Moscow hospital for a routine hemorrhoid operation it is a complete success. (In OTL he dies)

Vladimir Chelomey, Korolev's chief rival, aproaches Korolev with a plan to increase fund for the space program and be able to better challenge the American in the race to the moon. The ambitious plan call on better cooperation, bigger rockets and even catch up with the Americans within two years, then be in a position possible to pass them... they went before Premier Brezhnov the leader of the soviet Union and the Central Commitee... the plan was approved

1967
Soviets starting a testing the an improved,larger UR-500( Proton) rocket hoping for a manned fly-by of the moon they also start redigning and better tsting the N-1 super- heavy rocket

United States started testing unmanned Saturn V rockets in November they were a success

1968
Soviets launch 2 successful unmanned Soyuz 7K- Zond-B probes, redesigned and well funded, they are larger than early models and capable of carring 3 cosmonauts and supplies; it was hoped they preform a circumlunar loop flight around the moon before the American did their fly-by

Apollo 8 launched on December 21 leaves earth orbit and became the first human travelers to leave LEO and travel to another celestial body

N-1_Liftoff_1974-1-.jpg
January 1st Soviets successfully follow the Americans with their Zond program and travel to the moon in a fly-by mission

January 20, Richard Nixon is sworn in as the 37th President of the United States; in a news conference the new Presidents said he is unimpressed with the Soviet mission pointing out that the whole Zond program is to small to land a man on the moon; unlike Apollo that is getting ready to fullfull the goals of JFK several years earlier and land a man on the moon

February 21 The Soviet N-1 (Lenin) Rocket launches into orbit in an unmanned flight.. after 2 years of redesigning and successfully ground tested the rocket is larger then early models but still smaller then the Saturn V

The Soviets leadship upon their cosmonauts return; claim that while the Americans may land on the moon first, there are many other places to go in the solar system to visit and that with a new heavy lift rocket and a new manned rocket both of which can travel in deep space the American will quickly fall behind the Socialist Model.

Premier Brezhnev the leader of the Soviet Union said in a speach to the Politburo Central Commitee "the American think of this Space Race as if it is a foot race... one moon, one destination... but we see a moon, the asteroid belt and 8 other planets, therefore, it is not a foot race but a Decathlon and we will win the race!!"

President Nixon is stunned by the race comparison and the recent rocket test. He summons his science advisors and NASA chief scientist and engineers, while they reassuring the President that Apollo would reach and land on the moon by this summer the President seemed worried.He starts to inquire about the newly formed Apollo Applications Program and what it can do to help keep america in the lead.

Apollo 11 lands on the moon in July bringing the first human there! President Nixon in a televised address to the nation says America is up to the Soviets challenge and will soon set up a Luna base.

President adds billions back in to the 1970 NASA budget and works with democrates and republican to get it passed. The new budget returns spending on the space program back to the 1966 level or about .5% of the GDP

While still concerned about big deficits he cut war spending slightly and rolls back some funding from the Health and Human Services (welfare) he sells the plan as a Nation Security Initiative

Apollo 12 lands on the moon in November

The Soviets use the manned Soyuz 7K-LOK launched from a Lenin N1 rocket in a trip around the moon on Chrismas similar to Apollo 8 one year earlier...they announce a plan for a moon base in two more years and trips to both Venus and Mars soon after.

1970
The Soviets announced their 8th Five Year Plan to run from 1971 -1975 in the plan it includes a moon base and a flyby of Venus Out of concern of the American economic power the Soviets cut back on defense spending surpise the world on how serious they are becoming

A second Soviet mission to the moon is a success