Space Race Didn't End





President Richard Milhous Nixon was not a big 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 concentrate 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 known 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 importance of the Space Race and wanted to win no matter what! And what if this and not Watergate is what stands out in his Presidency. What it is his leadership and decisions during his Presidency are why the Space Race continued and instead the Arms Race died. What if he is remembered for opening space to humanity!

The 1960's
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, approaches Korolev with a plan to increase funds for the space program and be able to better challenge the American in the race to the moon. The ambitious plan call for 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 Brezhnev the leader of the Soviet Union and the Central Committee... the plan was approved.

1967 

The Soviets started test an improved and larger UR-500 (Proton) rocket hoping for a manned fly-by of the moon. They also start redesigning and testing the N-1 super- heavy rocket.

The United States starts to test unmanned Saturn V rockets in November it is a total success.

1968

Soviets launch 2 successful unmanned Soyuz 7K- Zond-B probes, redesigned and well-funded, they are larger than earlier models and capable of carrying 3 cosmonauts and supplies; it was hoped they can perform 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.

1969  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 too small to land a man on the moon; unlike Apollo that is getting ready to fulfill 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 than early models but still smaller than the Saturn V.

The Soviets leadership, 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 speech to the Politburo Central Committee "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 concerned by the foot race comparison and the recent rocket tests. 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 democrats 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 deficits he cut war spending 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 Christmas 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.

The 1970's
1970

The Soviets announced their 8th Five Year Plan to run from 1971 -1975 in the plan it includes a moon base and a manned flyby of Venus. Out of concern of the American economic power the Soviets cut back on defense spending; this move surprises the world and shows how serious they have become in regards to the space.

A second Soviet mission to the moon is a success.

During his first State of the Union Address, President Nixon outlines his agenda for the coming year it includes, in addition to his space initiatives, an educational plan to expand scholarships for students seeking a science or engineering degree. His plan will also have provisions to increase high school graduation rates for Africa-American students with the hope those rates

marching those of whites by 1975. Senator Edward Brooke, America's only black senator will lead this committee. The president sees these initiatives as crucial if America is to keep up with the Soviet Union with its larger population base.

April 11, the Apollo 13 mission is a partial failure due to an oxygen explosion in the service module; it makes it back to earth safely. The President orders an around the clock investigation to find the fault of the accident; he also states this event will not deter or slow down the space program. Privately he wonders if the soviet were involved.

The Soviet Union becomes the second nation to land on the moon in late April. It releases a plan for 15 more Luna missions over the next 18 months and a base on the moon surface soon after.

In response to the Soviets plan, the USA orders a second block of Saturn V rockets to be uses for further exploration of the moon. These rockets will bring the total American missions to 21 by the end of 1971, barring further accidents

The United States selects the Saturn V-D (700,000lbs to LEO) with is almost three times the payload of the Saturn V (220,000lbs to LEO) to be built for delivery in the second half of 1971. The design will be the precursor to the Saturn V-D(R), a rocket with a first stage that is fully reusable. It is now under preliminary design by Wernher Von Braun America's top rocket engineer.

The Soviets quickly plan a new N-2 rocket with a similar payload as the Saturn V-D.

By the end of 1970 both the USA and the USSR have dramatically increased their respective space programs; largely at the expense of their Nation Defense

1971

President Nixon initiates a policy of Detente with the Soviet Union. It quickly leads to the SALT I Treaty to reduce nuclear warheads.

The USSR launches a simple 2 man Salyut Space Station and within days a 2 man moon base capable of supporting the man for up to 15 days before resupplying is needed. These are both firsts for the space race and restores pride and hope to the Soviet people that they can keep up with the Americas.

The American public and the Nixon administration are shocked at the speed of the Soviet deployments of hardware. However, top NASA officials and Soviet experts at the Pentagon believe it was designed for shock value, to prove to the world and its own people it is still a space power to be reckoned with.

The United States successfully launches its new Saturn V-D rocket in May, three months earlier than planned on it was the first module for America's first space station. In a series of tests conducted by the Von Braun group of researches, using modified Saturn I-B rockets are making some headway into producing a craft that is capable of a soft landing back on its launch pad so it can be reused. The biggest problem is slow processing speed of early microchips that are needed to control the craft, either remotely or automatically, on its return descent. NASA in response to this problem starts a High Speed Computer Grant Program in the hope that it can quickly develope

faster processes to meet its needs.

In late December, the United States launches the last of its eight 600,000lbs modules for its space station, which has room for a total of 20 scientists and workers.

1972

The Soviet starts to rapidly launch more Salyut space station components in the hope of matching the American new station; though one of its Lenin N-1 rockets exploded with a solar array on board leaving its station under power for months it is undeterred in its plans to build and expand its different space projects.

The USA puts six 2 man stations on the moon, capable of missions as long as three months before resupply is needed; their mission is to survey their sites to help NASA choose the location of a permanent underground Luna base. It is developing the ability to drill in a vacuum to be able to dig it.

The United States launches an unmanned research station to the Lagrangian points  at the L1  location which directly faces towards the sun. They are doing this to test the effects of long term exposure to open space and solar radiation so they can learn how to protect astronauts on interplanetary trips. It does have live animals on it for the research with various experimental shielding including water, plastic, lead and different metals. It will require resupply every three months and it is up to date the farthest animals or humans have gone in space.

The United States constructs a small submarine with 6 volunteers on it; the sub is largely automatic and travels very slowly. It is supplied with food and water in the way that a ship on an interplanetary journey would be; it will put them in constant danger and under stress with the fear of the loss the sub. Many see this simulation as ridicules but understanding the problems of long term space travel must be understood better before sending people into deep space when it is too late. The Soviets have done similar test for over 500 days in locked rooms but there was no real ship to run and their lives were not at risk.

The USSR starts to scrap some of its ICBM's for parts in support of it various space operations. The move seen by many as desperation is, by many others, seen as brilliant as it saves them billions in maintenance costs from these idle rockets. The USA copies this move and will rely on its bomber force if a war were to break out.

The first Nuclear Thermal Rockets are tested by the Soviet Union in October. This new rocket will not be used as part of a launch system from earth, instead it will be permantlaly kept in orbit at the Soviet space sta tion. It is designed to move payloads from LEO into a trans-Luna or interplanetary trajectory.

The United S tates was planning a similar test with it NERVA rocket, for early 1973 and in response to the Soviet test pushes the timetable to coincide with the election in November.

President Nixon is reelected in a landslide.

The first experimental reusable rocket successfully returns to its launch pad and is re-launched in 2 weeks. Congress authorizes NASA to start assembling a Saturn V-D(R) a move that will save billions in launch cost. The savings will go into education programs and a new Nova rocket program to design a new super-rocket with a payload no less then 1,000,000lbs to LEO and be 100% recoverable. It also will start design considerations for a 60 man space shuttle both for delivery by 1977.

1973 

The USSR stuns the world with the first interplanetary trip with a Venus flyby, only four years after their successful moon flyby. This mission is similar to one studied by NASA as part of its Apollo Applications Program in 1970. The President calls on congress to increase NASA's funding and the timetable for America's first interplanetary missions.

With a growing need for nuclear fuel for its space operations, the United States plan to reprocess spent fuel rods. President Nixon names Admiral Hyman Rickover (the father of America's nuclear navy) to head the newly formed Nuclear Regulatory Commission; he will oversee nuclear safety and further development of America's NERVA program.

An oil boycott starts because of America's support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War and Nixon introduces major energy efficiency initiatives to end America's reliance on foreign oil.

Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns in October in a scandal; Senator Edward Brooke replaces him as the first African-American Vice President. He is seen as a role model for all minority children and he encourages them to continue to enter the sciences.

1974

Do to the oil crisis the world falls into a minor recession. President Nixon believes that the Soviets are behind this to derail Americas plan to follow them to Venus.

America's rail system (Amtrak) formed 3 years earlier will start running bullet trains by 1980

The United States performs a flyby mission to both Venus and Mercury in a newly designed long range ship capable of carrying 6 people. The ship has several times the living space per person then the Apollo ships a decade earlier and twice the space of the Soviet craft. This mission marks the first women to travel beyond earth-moon system.

Computer processing speed has quadrupled in the last 2 years, double Moore's Law (which is the doubling of transistors, ever two years in a computer chip going back many years), due to heavy funding by NASA. This greatly helps in numerous projects.

Vietnam receives an aid package of oil and economic help due to a recession caused by the oil crises.

The cost for travel to LEO has fallen over 90%, making it cheaper for an increasing number a companies willing to do business in LEO.

1975

Microrocket is formed by Bill Gates and Paul Allen; they hope to exploit the rapidly evolving electromagnetic catapult technology like many others to build a chemical rocket free system for on earth and for the moon.

The United States travels to Mars and stays in orbit for 3 months.

The United States and the Soviet Union flatly reject the proposed Apollo–Soyuz Test Project. Each believes the other is trying to steal their technology

South Vietnam is invaded by North Vietnam but they are held off with the help of US air power. The Soviets refuse to send help. It is believed, by the CIA, that the Soviets are unable to help due to reduced spending in defense. The North did not believe the US would intervene because of the Case-Church Amendment, however, Nixon's personal pleading for South Veatnam changes the law and allows resumption of bombing and support.

The North falls, after the South for the first time invades the North, and captures Hanoi.

Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme shots President Nixon on September 5th. Fromme was a follower of Charles Manson who is serving a life term in prison. Nixon is in a coma and Doctors do not believe he will recover. Vice President Edward Brooke is sworn in as the nation's first black President.

The first super computer capable of 100 megahertz is the Cray-1 came online December 31.

1976
The Soviet Union reaches mars in May, just as the Americas are leaving. Unlike the American who spent their time in orbit the Soviet came prepared to land on Phobos, the larger of the two Martian moons.

Jimmy Carter is elected President. President Brooke had not planned to run for President but was pressured and supported by many to do so. That last minute entry into the election split the party after Former Governor Ronald Reagan runs as an independent.

China invades Vietnam due to the mass amount of refugees start to the leave out of fear of southern troops.

Elvis Presley visits Former President Nixon after he comes out of his coma. Elvis is motivate to "clean-up" his act and got off of drugs. He founds the Elvis Presley Center, to help others with substance abuse.

The Soviet Union test the N-3 a new super-heavy lift reusable rocket with a payload of 1,100,000lbs to LEO.

President Brooke visits Vandenberg Air force base with Nixon too witness a test of a new Scramjet( supersonic combustion ramjet), the first of its kind. President Brooke during a speech said the development of this engine took almost as long as Apollo and cost almost twice as much due to the complexities and technological challenges

1977

new shuttle is a go

us to develope next gen nuke rocket

new heavy lift

china loses in viet

shah reforms

1978

space passes dod 3.5% each

USA and Mexico has agree to immigration reform

viet boom phillipine immigrantion

Iran invade Afganistan

1979

President Carter visits Three Mile Island as example of excellent work with nuke power

health care

recession hurts Carter

iran ayotolla fails in iran

USA lands on Mars

The 1980's
1980

first gig computor

china cival war

nixon helps bush

bush wins

micro rocket build mass driver test

1981

bush as pres temple black first women vp

mass driver to be built on moon for oxgen minerials

1982

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The 1990's
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The 2000's
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