Red Mars

Werner Von Braun was one of the most visionary and intelligent rocket scientists in history. He was responsible for the invention of the first space capable rocket (the V-2) along with plans for building space stations, moon ships and mars ships. Unfortunatly with the exception of a extremly scaled down space station and orbital ships non of his plans came in his lifetime. After the moon landing the United States droped all major plans for going beyond Low Earth Orbit. But what if anouther country did it? What if Von Braun in his desparation to keep his dream alive broke his American alligence. He changed sid es before after Germany lost WW2. This is a story of a different Werner Von Braun.

Point of Divergence
1972: With the last apollo flight and no plans for anymore manned missions to the Moon or beyond something Von Braun relized he would have to go International to save his Vision. Von Braun moves to Moscow and begins work to help the USSR regain its former Space Race lead.

First Flights


1977: Von Brauns Interplanetary missions to the Moon, Mars and Venus are flown. 3 Proton Rockets were used to assemble them on Orbit along with Nuclear Ion engines to increase efficency and reduce fuel needed. Alexi Leonov would be hailed as a hero after he became the first human to set foot on Mars on June 15th. Von Braun watched the grainy black and white TV images as the first foodprint a flag were planted on Mars. We died the following day from pancrietic cancer, his dream, vision and life's finallyacomplished.

First Base
Small 3 crew landing sorties would continue untill 1989 when the Energia rocket began sending the first long duration missions to the Moon and Mars. By 1995 a permanent base named Mir was established on the Moon followed by Freedom on Mars in 1997

United States response
The United States was shocked by the Soviet interplanetary missions. Gerald Ford congratulated the Soviet Mars mission although inreality the mission outraged and disapointed many US public and this was probably a atempt at showing the bright sides. Others however were genuenly thrilled by the Soviet success as they saw it as Humanity reaching out in to space and didn't care what flag it accomplished it. NASA responded by renewing plans for a wheel shaped space station. In 1981 the first Artificial gravity space station was launched. Home to over 21 people this station provided an advanced Labrotory and Home for conducting Scientific experiments. The first objective of the project however (whitch wasn't declassified until 1991) was to increase opitmism and patriotism following the Soviets victory.