alternatehistory.com
NASA future (1) : the Townes report (1969)
1969-1971: a transition era
As the title says. My main POD is set in 1971, so there are two years that are more or less OTL.
I filled that void with some cool stuff I red and liked. Maybe a little too much on too many different subjects - I might cut some things that are too big.
Hope you'll be appreciate it.
-------
“The remarkable success of the Apollo 8 mission has provided renewed insight to the dramatic public appeal of manned space flight and bolsters our confidence that the manned lunar landing may be accomplished as early as July 1969.
With this convincing demonstration of our strength and capability in space technology we must examine and redefine the future role and objectives of manned space activity in our national space program. A decision regarding this role may be the most critical choice facing the new administration in regard to the space program.
(…)
What are the program items and their urgency for the immediate future ?
Through the Apollo program NASA manned space program is currently centered on the Moon. A crucial question is whether it should stay focused on our satellite or reach for different destinations - Mars or Earth orbit ?
Various items need special consideration. They are a manned space station, the Apollo application program, further manned lunar exploration, manned interplanetary trips, and lowering the costs of transportation to low Earth orbit.
1 - Planetary exploration
The US. program for planetary exploration by instrumented, unmanned probes needs to be strengthened and funds for such probes increased appreciably. However, the great majority of the task force is not in favour of a commitment at present to a manned planetary lander or orbiter, to Venus, Mars or elsewhere.
2 - Lunar exploration
After the first Apollo landing it will be exciting and valuable. But additional work needs to be initiated this year to provide for its full exploitation by means of an adequate mobility and extended stay on the lunar surface.
3 - Space station
We are against any present commitment to the construction of a large space station, but believe study of the possible purposes and design of such a station should be continued. We believe the Apollo Applications Program should proceed instead, as a way of testing man's role in space, of allowing a healthy continuing manned space program, and for the biomedical and scientific information it will yield.
4 - Space Shuttle
The unit costs of boosting payloads into space can be substantially reduced, but this requires an increased number of flights, or such an increase coupled with an expensive development program. We do not recommend initiation of such a development, but study of the technical possibilities and rewards. Some cost reductions in the space program can probably be made simply through experience and stabilization of the level of effort, and through coordination of future NASA and DOD programs.
IN CONCLUSION
We believe that the primary goal of manned space flight in the 1970’s which should be planned now is the scientific exploration of the moon, by both equipment and occasional manned landings using upgraded versions of the present Apollo system.
Alternatives for this choice are a commitment next year to a manned landing on Mars, which some of us believe could be carried out in the early or middle 1980’s, if sufficient effort were made;
or an earth orbital space station to house perhaps six to nine men who would make occasional trips to and from earth.
A great majority of the task force opposes a commitment to a manned Mars landing at this time. We believe that the space program in this second decade should not be built around a single monolithic goal on a fixed timetable.
The task force also recognizes that a Mars landing in the early or middle 1980’s would require a substantial expansion of the NASA budget in the next few years.
We also proposes that the space station receive further study without a binding commitment until its design and purposes are more clearly delineated and the possibilities of a radical reduction in the future of costs of transportation to orbit are more firmly established.
It appears that the AAP program for manned flight, also scheduled for the 70’s might serve many of the purposes of a space station.
- Charles H. Townes.
Source: REPORT ON PRESIDENT NIXON TRANSITION TEAM ON SPACE
Date: January 8, 1969
In November 1968 newly elected President Nixon had created a transition team to handle smoothly Johnson succession in the White House.
These team would present reports before mid-January 1969 and Nixon official entry in the White House.
Among varied advisory groups was a space team that was led by Charles H. Townes.
Townes, much like many others, had been impressed by Apollo 8 outrageous success in the mind of American people.
That success could be summarized by two pictures.
The first was obviously Earth beautiful blue orb standing above the greyish, desolated lunar horizon.
The other picture was much least known; it remained classified – with NASA complaining that retaining that information hurted its transparency as a civilian space agency. The NRO top brass was somewhat embarrassed since their system had worked even better than anticipated and garnered some unwelcome publicity in the process.
The picture showed the Tycho crater. Thanks to its extremely powerful KH-7 spy satellite Apollo 8 had imaged Tycho at a resolution never seen before.
The level of detail was truly amazing.
Near the rim of Tycho stood a squat, squarred artefact. It wasn't a black monolith as in2001; it was the Surveyor 7 probe, landed in 1967 and long dead on the lunar surface.
Charles Townes had been impressed by the level of detail. He felt the very high resolution pictures allowed certification of more landing spots, including zones far out of Apollo equatorial landing strip – Tycho, obviously, perhaps the poles and the farside.
In his mind, Apollo should continue exploring the Moon - Mars, the space shuttle or a space station being only distractions.
Charles H. Townes, father of the laser and 1964 Nobel Prize for this invention.
Also a good friend of NASA George Mueller - both worked at the Bell laboratories.
Thanks to Mueller Townes become a strong advocate of manned spaceflight.
Townes will play a significant role in this TL.
As the title says. My main POD is set in 1971, so there are two years that are more or less OTL.
I filled that void with some cool stuff I red and liked. Maybe a little too much on too many different subjects - I might cut some things that are too big.
Hope you'll be appreciate it.
-------
“The remarkable success of the Apollo 8 mission has provided renewed insight to the dramatic public appeal of manned space flight and bolsters our confidence that the manned lunar landing may be accomplished as early as July 1969.
With this convincing demonstration of our strength and capability in space technology we must examine and redefine the future role and objectives of manned space activity in our national space program. A decision regarding this role may be the most critical choice facing the new administration in regard to the space program.
(…)
What are the program items and their urgency for the immediate future ?
Through the Apollo program NASA manned space program is currently centered on the Moon. A crucial question is whether it should stay focused on our satellite or reach for different destinations - Mars or Earth orbit ?
Various items need special consideration. They are a manned space station, the Apollo application program, further manned lunar exploration, manned interplanetary trips, and lowering the costs of transportation to low Earth orbit.
1 - Planetary exploration
The US. program for planetary exploration by instrumented, unmanned probes needs to be strengthened and funds for such probes increased appreciably. However, the great majority of the task force is not in favour of a commitment at present to a manned planetary lander or orbiter, to Venus, Mars or elsewhere.
2 - Lunar exploration
After the first Apollo landing it will be exciting and valuable. But additional work needs to be initiated this year to provide for its full exploitation by means of an adequate mobility and extended stay on the lunar surface.
3 - Space station
We are against any present commitment to the construction of a large space station, but believe study of the possible purposes and design of such a station should be continued. We believe the Apollo Applications Program should proceed instead, as a way of testing man's role in space, of allowing a healthy continuing manned space program, and for the biomedical and scientific information it will yield.
4 - Space Shuttle
The unit costs of boosting payloads into space can be substantially reduced, but this requires an increased number of flights, or such an increase coupled with an expensive development program. We do not recommend initiation of such a development, but study of the technical possibilities and rewards. Some cost reductions in the space program can probably be made simply through experience and stabilization of the level of effort, and through coordination of future NASA and DOD programs.
IN CONCLUSION
We believe that the primary goal of manned space flight in the 1970’s which should be planned now is the scientific exploration of the moon, by both equipment and occasional manned landings using upgraded versions of the present Apollo system.
Alternatives for this choice are a commitment next year to a manned landing on Mars, which some of us believe could be carried out in the early or middle 1980’s, if sufficient effort were made;
or an earth orbital space station to house perhaps six to nine men who would make occasional trips to and from earth.
A great majority of the task force opposes a commitment to a manned Mars landing at this time. We believe that the space program in this second decade should not be built around a single monolithic goal on a fixed timetable.
The task force also recognizes that a Mars landing in the early or middle 1980’s would require a substantial expansion of the NASA budget in the next few years.
We also proposes that the space station receive further study without a binding commitment until its design and purposes are more clearly delineated and the possibilities of a radical reduction in the future of costs of transportation to orbit are more firmly established.
It appears that the AAP program for manned flight, also scheduled for the 70’s might serve many of the purposes of a space station.
- Charles H. Townes.
Source: REPORT ON PRESIDENT NIXON TRANSITION TEAM ON SPACE
Date: January 8, 1969
In November 1968 newly elected President Nixon had created a transition team to handle smoothly Johnson succession in the White House.
These team would present reports before mid-January 1969 and Nixon official entry in the White House.
Among varied advisory groups was a space team that was led by Charles H. Townes.
Townes, much like many others, had been impressed by Apollo 8 outrageous success in the mind of American people.
That success could be summarized by two pictures.
The first was obviously Earth beautiful blue orb standing above the greyish, desolated lunar horizon.
The other picture was much least known; it remained classified – with NASA complaining that retaining that information hurted its transparency as a civilian space agency. The NRO top brass was somewhat embarrassed since their system had worked even better than anticipated and garnered some unwelcome publicity in the process.
The picture showed the Tycho crater. Thanks to its extremely powerful KH-7 spy satellite Apollo 8 had imaged Tycho at a resolution never seen before.
The level of detail was truly amazing.
Near the rim of Tycho stood a squat, squarred artefact. It wasn't a black monolith as in2001; it was the Surveyor 7 probe, landed in 1967 and long dead on the lunar surface.
Charles Townes had been impressed by the level of detail. He felt the very high resolution pictures allowed certification of more landing spots, including zones far out of Apollo equatorial landing strip – Tycho, obviously, perhaps the poles and the farside.
In his mind, Apollo should continue exploring the Moon - Mars, the space shuttle or a space station being only distractions.
Charles H. Townes, father of the laser and 1964 Nobel Prize for this invention.
Also a good friend of NASA George Mueller - both worked at the Bell laboratories.
Thanks to Mueller Townes become a strong advocate of manned spaceflight.
Townes will play a significant role in this TL.
- Archibald
- Word Count: 1.1k