2001: A Space Time Odyssey (Version 2)

[Michel Van]

Post 38 soviet space activity in 1973

Salyut
Finally after technical problems and delays the first Salyut OS-7K station and Soyuz 7K-7 arrived at Baikonur in 1973
Salyut program start as Tema: Salyut in November 1967 scheduled for launch in spring 1971
OKB-1 leading the project reused old study for manned Heavy interplanetary Spacecraft (Russian abb. TMK) by G U Maksimov in 1959.
1965 the study underwent a revision, finally to redesign in 1968 to a Orbital Station launch by Proton rocket.
But in 1970 Salyut ran into problems.
OKB-1 was running at full capacity, with rocket buildings, the Lunar program and the Space Station program suffering from lack of personnel and material.
MoM order of OKB-52 to help build the Station on OKB-1 plans, there was a certain irony to how OKB-52 now had to build the space station.
Their boss Vladimir Chelomei had proposed his Almaz, a military space station to MoM, what had refused the proposal, because Chelomei demand on development of the UR-500 rocket and TKS spacecraft.
Although the Boss of OKB-52 could have be happy to do something for the space race, he went to Military complaining about the status of Salyut program and promoted Almaz.
Military-industrial Commission Chairman Ustinov was not amused at all, about Chelomei arrogant behavior and his talking shit about his colleagues.
MoM had enough of Chelomei's escapades and fired Him with OKB-52 became branch of OKB-1!

OKB-52 engineers in the mean time modified the construction to leave out unnecessary parts and systems like a second docking port or installing four Soyuz solar panel for power supply.
The originally planned feature would be installed in later version of Salyut in the second half of the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1971-1976)
As Mishin and Maksimov finally could overlook OKB-52 operation, they discovered Vladimir Chelomei had been neglecting the Salyut project.
In the mean time OKB-1 modified the Soyuz for the space station, the 7K-7 featured docking tunnels so three men crew could enter the Space station without spacewalking in Spacesuits.
But the first unmanned test of Soyuz 7K-7 in January 1972 ended in decompression of Return Module, what let to serious overwork on explosive bolt electrical system and reducing the crew from three cosmonauts without pressure suits to two cosmonauts with pressure suit.

On 11 May 1973, Salyut 1 was launched successful into a 200 x 222 km orbit.
Three day later Soyuz 7 launched with Vladimir Shatalov and Nikolai Rulavihnikov on board, on 15th of May Soyuz 7 docked with station and the crew enter it.
During first days the crew checked the station's functions and it's onboard system and equipment.
After that they tested the station automatic and manual controls for orientation & navigation and maneuvering the Station. The mission ended after 30 days.

On July Soyuz 8 launched with Georgy Dobrovolsky and Victor Patsayev on board,
Upon entering the station they found bad surprise a smoky atmosphere do fault in ventilation system. They had to replace burn blower and spent the next days in Soyuz until the air was clean again.
Despite this their mission was productive on experiments and observations.
But on day 11 a fire broke out on station (first case in space) which almost lead to them abandoning the station, but after putting out the fire they stayed for another 30 days on board then return to Earth.
Finally an unmanned Soyuz (as Cosmos 557) dockt with Salyut and remained 3 months there for long-duration test of spacecraft storage.
It carry several experiments in return capsule, after 175 days Salyut 1 reenter the Earth atmosphere and burned up.

The three mission show that Salyut station was operational and it's Crew could manage it’s problems like fires on board.
Now it was the turn for the military and their OSP-7k version of Salyut, featuring reconnaissance cameras, scheduled to be launch in April 1974.

Zond 19 Mission
After the last manned Soyuz mission to Salut-1, the time was right for launch of a Zond to Moon.
This time the Soviets tried to land at higher latitude than the Americans had for moment, thanks to performing translunar injection at 51° orbital inclination.
The target lied in between Sinus iridum and Mare Imbrium.
The goal of the Mission was to collect sample containers from Lunokhod 10 and to take core drill samples at landing site.
On July 14 Pyotr Klimuk and Valentin Lebedev were launch to Moon.
Klimuk landed near Lunokhod 10 on July 20 after a flawless mission he returned 6 hours later to LOK, 72 hours later and Zond 19 landed in the USSR.

The results were interesting to say the least:
Sinus iridum was part of Mare Imbrium disproving the theses of professor Harold C. Urey.
Lunokhod 10 took samples showing new type of Basaltic rock rich on titanium-iron oxide mineral from mare Imbrium.
Also showing it had a high concentrations of potassium. but very low on thorium.

In the mean time at MoM they studied a proposal that would allow unmanned sample return from the Moon. The proposition was to land an unmanned Luna type lander with a robotic arm and small ascent stage.
The robotic arm would put lunar samples into it and seal it, then it would return with it's own sample to Earth.
It sounded like an innovative low-cost idea, but in reality it was not, OKB-301 responsible for Lunokhod program studied the proposal.
There conclusion under current cost and hardware, it could bring only 170 grams of Lunar Sample back to Earth, which was not worth compared to the L3 program.
MoM abandoned the idea, still 3 years to go until first L3M Mission, if is not victims of delays…

Another proposal of the Soviet Academy of Science was taking shape
In 1970 they proposed to train Geologists as cosmonauts and LK pilots
Head of the Cosmonaut team Vladimir Komarov expected that Zond 21 and 22 would be first Geologists Mission.

Zond 20 Mission
Near end of year follow next lunar mission again to land higher Latitude. This time Sinus Roris south east of Lunar crater Markov, named after the famous Soviet Astrophysicist.
Lunokhod 11 travel around 39 km and collected samples.
Lev Vorobiyov and Valeri Yazdovsky launched with Zond 20 on December 12th.
Vorobiyov landed the LK near the Rover on the 17th December.
Sadly the drill got stuck so Vorobiyov could not take drill sample and so he was forced to take surface sample back to Earth were they land on December 21.

The samples show that Sinus Roris was extension of Oceanuns Procellarum

Inter Continental Ballistic Missile
At same time the USSR Military had accelerated work on new ICBM to replace the R-16
Because the USA had conducted in last three years a series of test that troubles the KGB and Military
First were Test of multiple independently reentry vehicle with Minutemen carry three warhead dummies over the Pacific.
Second was the drop test of Minutemen from C-5 Galaxy to test Air-launch ICBM.
Third was a project called Missile eXperimental (MX in short). For new generation of Land-based ICBM with 10 to 20 warheads and total new deployment system.
The Minutemen drop and launch tests from Aircraft indicate that the USA was working on that too.
This led Soviets to overthink there ICBM concept and to create new opportunities,
Like modified the already in work R-36 to adapt for multiple independently reentry vehicle
Other option was to D&R new ICBM with Solid motor on a Mobile launcher like Train, Aircraft or ground vehicle, but that would be ready in 1980s.
But there was a faster way, the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) this would in case of War launch a nuclear warhead into low orbit
were it can attack the target from any side, like USA from south were NORAD early waring system was most vulnerable.
FOBS would go perfect with new R-36 ICBM.
Despite the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 that forbid Nuclear weapons in Earth orbit, it did not ban launch system. Tests of FOBS without a warhead would not violate the treaty.

 

[Michel Van]

Will we get into spaceplane designs and also orbital nukes-ASAT weapons which will lead us up to 2001?

Yes, be patient, on orbital Nukes, we start with FOBS in Post 38.
on spaceplane designs we start with Shuttle in 1970s around post 46

 

[Archibald]

I hope the TKS will be manned. It was an awesome spaceship, kind of USSR Apollo.

I also wonder about power struggles between soviet rockets chief designers - will Glushko sweep all rocket shops in 1974 ?

I always felt that OTL no-one wanted to build a Soviet Shuttle so Glushko leaped on the occasion to concentrate most rocket shops under his rule.

The other reason was that Buran needed a heavy launcher, and there Glushko slained the N-1 he hated so much and build Energia.

A third reason is that he dreamed of a lunar base and once again needed a heavy rocket for that. There he was trapped - after 1976 no-one wanted a lunar base and he was forced to design Buran instead. Once Buran flew in 1988 he went back to lunar bases but a) he died soon thereafter and b) so did USSR

In my own TL 1973 will see an epic battle between Ustinov, Mishin and Glushko (with Chelomei as a collateral victim, just like OTL- he is toast since Kruchtchev was overthrown in '64) with a different outcome from OTL since the U.S space shuttle is dead and buried.

 

[Michel Van]

I hope the TKS will be manned. It was an awesome spaceship, kind of USSR Apollo.

I also wonder about power struggles between soviet rockets chief designers - will Glushko sweep all rocket shops in 1974 ?

I always felt that OTL no-one wanted to build a Soviet Shuttle so Glushko leaped on the occasion to concentrate most rocket shops under his rule.

The other reason was that Buran needed a heavy launcher, and there Glushko slained the N-1 he hated so much and build Energia.

A third reason is that he dreamed of a lunar base and once again needed a heavy rocket for that. There he was trapped - after 1976 no-one wanted a lunar base and he was forced to design Buran instead. Once Buran flew in 1988 he went back to lunar bases but a) he died soon thereafter and b) so did USSR

In my own TL 1973 will see an epic battle between Ustinov, Mishin and Glushko (with Chelomei as a collateral victim, just like OTL- he is toast since Kruchtchev was overthrown in '64) with a different outcome from OTL since the U.S space shuttle is dead and buried.

Yes TKS was Manned supply Space craft, but MoM had no interest or Money for that.
Because Chelomei demand very expensive complete package: The ALMAZ station, TKS Manned craft and UR-500 rocket and It infrastructure including it's toxic Propellant production.
and his refusal to cooperate with OKB-1 to launch the ALMAZ station and use Soyuz spacecraft.
MoM had no interest for a expensive second Manned Spacecraft system next to Soyuz family. (Zond, Soyuz)

Glushko will not sweep all rocket shops in 1974 !
His Stardom has fallen over years because his stubborn cling to toxic Propellant high pressure engine.
With expensive R&D program and constant refusal for development of Oxygen/Hydrogene engine, put him on site track for Military Missile.

While Kusnezow is major supplier for Rocket engine for Nossitel rocket family using Oxygen/Kerosine fuel.
They work on operational Oxygen/Hydrogene engine for upgraded N1 for L3M project.
That was reason for MoM cut down Glushko budget, also that arrogant Chelomei is fired in 1973.
in end Glushko remain as supplier for ICBM engine

Another problem MoM and OKB-1 will face is the US Shuttle Program and paranoid soviet Military.
but that for another post.

 

[Michel Van]

Post 39: European Space Program 1961-1974

Europe

In 1959 as MBRM Blue Streak program was stopped, the British politicians had a problem, what to do with hardware and engineers working on it?
Building a Satellite launcher was evident, but they had a lack of money, so they looked for partners.
In the Commonwealth organization Australia showed interest to cooperate, but on the European side they found a very interesting partner.
France looked for a Joint Venture in Rocket hardware development, especially for their Military program. (after February 1961 this french program became a top Priority)
During several meetings in 1961 of the Committee on Space Research, the Europeans came to agreement for a joint-venture in Space.

The European Space Effort was organized similar to CERN and segmented in two units:
The European Space Research Organization (ESRO): Scientific Research of space by probe or satellite
And European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO): R&D for European common launch rocket.
With their directorates installed in Paris, while ESRO Centers were installed in the Member states, ELDO was reliant on member state's Aerospace contractors to test their own Hardware.

While ESRO/ELDO was founded in 1961, ELDO became active only in 1964, do to political problems like in Belgium and Italy
In 1962 Belgium had a major political crisis, do to the death of U.N. general secretary in Congo by mercenaries on the order of Belgian industrialists who tried to defend their interests in the former Belgian colony Congo.
This delayed the convention of COSPAR agreement, the time the European ministers gained control over ELDO.
Founding Members were Britain, France, West Germany, followed in 1964 by Italy, Netherlands and Belgium, while Australia cooperated on ELDO by providing a launch site.

ELDO faced problems with building a rocket out of divergent parts from European space programs but they had no chance to coordinate the rocket development.
That was already in under the control of the Europeans ministers and the contractors tested their own hardware as they liked.
Hawker Siddeley started the first test launch F1 on 5 June 1964 in Australia, followed with the F2 to F4 until 1965 the last one with Dummy upper stages.
The following test flights of Europa rocket were disasters.
On the political side 1966/67 was hard years, the Government of Harald Wilson threatened ELDO with a British withdrawal,
Then came the French with idea to stop work on the Europa rocket and go for more advance rocket for communications satellite into Geostationary orbit.
In the end Britain reduced their funding to ELDO from 38% to 27%, the other member covered the loses and the French got the Europa-2 rocket.
In the mean time the French start to build there Europa-2 launch center on the coast of French Guiana, South America

In 1969 NASA asked ESRO/ELDO and others for a Joint-venture on Odyssey program, particularly in the Space Shuttle & Space Tug programs and space probes.
But it was the wrong signal for European ministers, who looked to benefit their own Nation, not in a cooperation under ELDO
Allot of studies were made for NASA who expected a different view on there problems, only to find same solution offers by US companies.
Except two ideas: a German modular science laboratory rack for the Shuttle/Station and Canada proposal for a robotic manipulator arms for Space tug.
Meanwhile the Wilson Government again threatened with withdrawal out ELDO.


On April 1970 at ESC Meeting they started the selection of Europa-3, five design were consider:

A - Blue Streak with Upgraded RZ.2 Engines, with second stage a Hydrogen oxygen propellants with two french HM5 engines, additional solid booster two to four french P-16.
B - complete new French/German design with Hypergol propellants, with second stage a Hydrogen oxygen propellants with one MBB High Pressure engine.
C - Italian design using Hardware from Blue Streak, but build in France with 4x RZ.2 and second stage a Hydrogen oxygen propellants with two RZ.20 engines.
D - German proposal two stage rocket using Hydrogen oxygen propellants with MBB High Pressure engine in the two stages.
E- German-French proposal of a Modular rocket, build from the same stage, 3 to 7 units cluster together and using a Europa 2 third stage

In the end the 3B was selected for the lower cost and higher payload compared to the others proposals,
The Europa-3E design however started with a life of his own, thanks to the West German Government, who supported it as low cost launcher for private enterprise,
A novelty in the German Industry, it led to the foundation of ELGO GmbH a private enterprise in 1974.

Europa rocket
The Europa-1 test F9 came close to space in July 1970, but the payload faring did not separate from third stage and that fall back into earth atmosphere.

On 4 November 1970 came next blow against ELDO at the ESC meeting in Brussels
The New British conservative Minister of aerospace Frederick Corfield, questioned whether Great Britain even need a Space program!
French Germany Belgium and Netherland reaffirmed cohesion for the Europa rocket project, while Australia, Italy and Britain left ELDO (with the last two remained in ESRO).
Hawker Siddeley would build the Blue Streak on the order of ELDO and no longer under British Ministry of Shipping

On November 5, 1971. Test launch F11 from French Guiana was a fiasco, 105.7 second after launch the autopilot failed and the rudderless Europa 2 broke apart.

1972 The Investigation Report on F11 launch failure show the disastrous condition of ELDO program.
Modification and complete overwork on Europa-2 would delay the next launch of F12 to late summer of 1973.
At the same time at CNES, two engineers looked into a low cost alternative to the Europa-3 rocket they called E3S (S for Substitution)

CNES presentation paper of E3S

ESRO and Germany, Italy, France and Canada signed coperation treaty for NASA Odyssey Program.
It include for ESRO cooperation on the Odyssey program offering Europan Astronauts and experiments on US missions and join venture on Space probe,
While West Germany, Italy, France and Canadian Aerospace industries provided parts for hardware,
NASA offered to launch their satellites, provided they were for civilians use only.

On December 20th came the deathblow for ELDO during a meeting of Europan minister in Brussels about the Future of the European Spaceflight program.
Again the Belgium’s were to blame,
Thanks to the Christian Democratic government of Gaston Eyskens VI, the State Secretary for Science was Theodore Lefèvre who knew well the European Space program and had talent to manage the Meeting.
Sadly he died of cardiac arrest before it, do political partisanship the successor had to be a flemish Christian Democrat, not someone with experience.
And so Placide De Paepe became the new Secretary of Science, a man specialized in the linguistics of Flemish and it’s Culture !
He was not a match for his European Colleagues, who first impression of De Paepe was of a fiddling little Belgian.
In this Situation the West German Minister Klaus von Dohnanyi took control of meeting
His argument was simple and easy: after almost 10 years and 11 mostly failed Rocket launches, it’s time to stop and wrap up ELDO and launch ESRO satellite with US rockets.
What the French opposed after several debate, the Germans and French found in a compromise.
ELDO would be closed, work on Europa rockets project terminate. France proposed a scaled down Europa III Version called E3S nicknamed "Phoenix“ to build by France taking 62.5% program cost,
In exchange the French supported the German effort for ESRO to join the US Odyssey Program Space Station III.
On the End survived from two space agency only ESRO and it's programs and the French/German state "Phoenix“ project on collaboration with ESRO.
During the entire meeting Placide De Paepe was reduced to an ignored bystander.

Placide De Paepe

February 1974 ELDO became a sub-branch of ESRO, they closed there office in 34 Avenue Marceau in Paris and moved to ESRO headquarter at 114 avenue de Neuilly in Paris.
The majority of ELDO employee left, some returned home to help their National effort on Odyssey program, but most of them join ELGO GmbH.
In Britain the conservative Government trashed and scrapped the last remains of their rocket projects.

But on April 2, 1974 french president George Pompidou died in office, succeeded by Valèry Giscard d’Estaing, a conservative.
One of his first action was to terminate the "Phoenix" and other prestige programs, in favor of modernizing of french military.
The German government was furious about the termination of Phoenix without consulting them. They had spend one Billion Deutsch Mark on Europa 3 and the Phoenix project for nothing.
ESRO's proposal to order US Delta rockets and launch them from French Guyana was refused by the French government.
So ESRO increased their cooperation with NASA to launch european satellites.
The last hope for the moment was private enterprises such as ELGO GmbH to build a European launch rocket.
Meanwhile the French space organization CNES salvaged the left overs of the Phoenix program like the the Viking engines, incorporated into new program of Diamant C

 

[arkades]

I'm surprised you killed the European space program.
One of the objectives for ELDO/ESRO/ESA was independence from USA and USSR for space launch.

I read somewhere that when France asked the Americans to launch its satellites, they agreed to launch only non military, non commercial ones.
So no observation or telecommunication satellites.

An alliance with other countries also permits to divides the costs for the rockets, it is why France moved from Diamant rockets to Ariane.

Also, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing was the most pro-europe of the French presidents, I doubt he would have terminated the Phoenix rocket.

I hope you have something in the future for Europe.

 

[Michel Van]

I'm surprised you killed the European space program.
One of the objectives for ELDO/ESRO/ESA was independence from USA and USSR for space launch.

I read somewhere that when France asked the Americans to launch its satellites, they agreed to launch only non military, non commercial ones.
So no observation or telecommunication satellites.

This happens if Theodore Lefèvre dies before meeting and Charles Hanin who save European Space program is not yet the Belgium State Secretary for Science.
but Placide De Paepe is take to lead the Meeting

An alliance with other countries also permits to divides the costs for the rockets, it is why France moved from Diamant rockets to Ariane.

Yes that happen for Ariane, France take 62,5% of cost, Germany 20,12%, the rest 17,38% divided under remaining ESA Members.
and victim of that was Diamant program do lack of money because size of Ariane program
In ASTO remain Phoenix a French national project with Germany participation and rest 17,38% financing under ESRO, irony moment Phoenix was canceled, it save Diamant program !
(Phoenix was one of name proposed for L3S rocket the other was Vega and Ariane )

Also, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing was the most pro-europe of the French presidents, I doubt he would have terminated the Phoenix rocket.

He really try to kill the Ariane program, the moment he was in office, like Aerotrain or the Dassault Mirage G
for four months the program was stopped, until lobbyist of french industry and German Diplomats talk some sense into Him.
Here in ASTO Valéry Giscard d’Estaing killed french Phoenix program for financing French Military modernization, in wake of 1960s were France was almost in war with Soviet union.
Seems the Dassault Mirage G get chance to get in service after all

I hope you have something in the future for Europe.

There is still ELGO, so Wait and see

 

[arrowiv]

Will France and Germany and the UK also develop their own orbital nukes as seen in the film?

 

[Michel Van]

Will France and Germany and the UK also develop their own orbital nukes as seen in the film?

Wait for 1980s Post to see if this happened...

 

[SpaceGeek]

Post 40: Rainbow Warrior, the Rise and Fall of Enviromentalism

For the definition of Malthusianism See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Robert_Malthus
The 1950s, 1960s and into the early 1970s was a time period that some modern historians refer to as the "neo-Malthusian" or "First Wave" phase of the environmental movement, the earliest of phase of the modern conservation movement. During this period the population of the world grew rapidly because of widespread increases of life expectancy and reductions in child mortality in the developed and developing world. A "Neo-Malthusian" revival occurred as many environmental groups sounded the alarm regarding the potential risks and dangers of population growth. The catalyst for this was the 1948 works "Our Plundered Planet" and "Road to Survival".

In 1962 Rachel Carson wrote and published a book titled "Silent Spring" in which she accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation and destroying the natural environment. The overriding theme of Silent Spring was an extremely negative view on the effect humans have on the natural world. She was most strident in her attacks on DDT, an insecticide used in agriculture and malaria prevention. The work was a seminal moment and began what many consider to be the beginning of the modern environmental movement.

In 1968 Paul R. Ehrlich wrote the book "The Population Bomb" in which he made the case for an impending disaster caused by ecological collapse and resource depletion. In the book he advocated a steady-state economy, the end of economic growth and government imposed restrictions and limits on population. That same year in 1968 the Club of Rome was founded, an NGO dedicated to promoting neo-Malthusian ideas and advocating limits on population and economic growth. In 1972 the organization published the book "The Limits to Growth" which (along with the organization itself) became central to the neo-Malthusian environmentalist movement. Other prominent writters also authored books on the subject, making predictions of impending disaster such as in the 1967 "Famine 1975! America's Decision: Who Will Survive?".

Beginning in the early 1970s the "first-wave" or neo-Malthusian environmentalist movement become increasingly violent and threatening. In 1969 an organization was founded in Vancouver British Columbia called "Rainbow Warrior" [1] which initially began as an anti-nuclear weapons protest group but quickly evolved into a violent environmentalist organization (attracting more and more revolutionary anarchist members of the New Left and fewer of the peace-loving hippies and countercultural youth). By physically attacking whalers, blowing up chemical plants and performing other illegal acts of Arson including dangerous tree spiking, the group quickly began to alienate the public from the previously growing environmental movement. It was labeled a terrorist organization by the FBI in 1972 and was quickly followed by similar "eco-terrorist" or "green-terrorist" organizations including "Animal Liberation Front" in 1976, "Earth First!" in 1979, "Animal Rights Militias" in 1982. Anarcho-Primitivism became a major part of the movement as the organizations moved further away from university campuses and more towards field protests, direct action and even terrorism.

The Nixon Administration, which had previously been supportative of environmentalism with the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act in the early 1970s began a concerted public campaign to discredit these organizations and the increasingly radicalized environmental movement as they had successfully done with the radicalized Black liberation movement (represented by the Black Panthers). A similar public campaign backlash against the increasingly radicalized environmentalist movement occurred in France. The French State TV channel FRANCE3 provided 30 minute programs where any religious, political or environmental movements could present themselves to the public. While the environmentalists did become more well-known by using this platform the public found them comical and self-ridiculing. The Nixon administration took note and applied the same strategy in the United States. Many Democrats felt pressured to distance themselves from the radicals (as they had distanced themselves from the more radical black liberation movements) and to support technology, industry and nuclear power in the face of the violent opposition. Some political commentators drew connections between Moscow or Beijing and the radical green movements, further discrediting them in the public eye. The 1970s implementation of population control policies in China such as the "One Child Policy" only strengthened this contention.
Environmentalists were portrayed as dangerous drug-addicted hippies opposed to progress carrying out terrorism. Clarence M. Kelley (director of the FBI) called them "The greatest domestic terrorist threat in America" following the collapse of the Black panthers. This period during the 1970s through the 1980s was known as "The Green Scare". Some criticise the backlash as going too far as some say it included the censoring of neo-Malthusian intellectuals who (it was feared) would give credibility to violent protestors and organizations (most prominently with the self-censoring of the 1980 PBS documentary series Cosmos to remove references to environmental destruction and focus on technical solutions to overpopulation and various problems). Even members of the far-left such as Marxists disavowed Malthusian environmentalism when it was found that Marx and Engles were staunch opponents of Thomas Malthus in the 19th century. Through the 1970s industries (particularly those related to nuclear energy) performed a media campaign blitz to discredit luddites and promote a technologically optimistic culture (with the Walt Disney Company playing a major role in the campaign including their construction of EPCOT).

At the same time, a backlash to the fledgling environmental movement was coming from many public intellectuals hoping to refute the more academic arguments for Malthusianism and the idea of coming famines and overpopulation as many journalists, commentators, authors and others criticised the Neo-Malthusian revival. The dramatic predictions made about impending environmental and overpopulation disaster in the late 60s and early 70s, such as widespread famine, resource depletion, water wars and a massive drop in population proved fallacious hyperbole with the 1970s "Green Revolution" which saw a massive increase in the yields of crops in the Third World. Julian Simon, a noted cornucopian economist wrote that contrary to Neo-Malthusianism the earth's "carrying capacity" is essentially limitless. The culmination of this cornucopian backlash came during the Simon-Ehrlich wager in which Paul R. Ehrlich bet Julian Simon that the prices for five metals would increase by 1990 (a significantly more conservative prediction than prior ones foreseeing ecological and societal collapse). Ehrlich lost the bet on all five metals.

At the same time, many prominent environmentalists such as Democratic governor of California Jerry Brown were supporting Solar Power Satellites and other technological solutions for environmental, population and resource issues. This growing trend in environmentalism, often called "Second Wave Environmentalism" (named after second-wave Feminism) which began as the Neo-Malthusian revival reached it's peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s, advocated the colonization of space and the exploitation of space resources (from the Moon and Asteroids) and energy (such as Helium 3 from the Moon & Solar Power from the Sun) as the solution to overpopulation & resource depletion on Earth. More generally, "Second Wave Environmentalism" became a movement which advocated technological solutions for environmental issues (including nuclear power).

The most prominent of these "Second Wave Environmentalists" included Gerard K. O'Neil who rose to prominence with his advocacy of solar power satellites, built in space from resources mined from the Moon as the solution to high oil prices, dirty coal & gas, and nuclear power. His ambitious and dramatic plans of building thousand person colonies at the Earth-Moon Lagrange point, allowing infinite economic, population, energy and resource expansion through the utilization of space resources, captured the imagination of many during the economic malaise of the 1970s. Gerard K. O'Neil even was brought towards congress to testify about the possibilities of the resources and energy available in outer space. O'Neill's Grand Vision of thousand person space colonies at the Earth-Moon Lagrange points building giga-watt power solar power satellites was never realized, but he did successfully push for research into space manufacturing and related industries through the Space Shuttle & Space Station and the establishment of the Lunar Surface Base. More importantly, he changed the public consciousness about space colonization, selling it as the solution to fears regarding overpopulation and high energy cost (the two main challenges facing the 70s). The boom in technologically optimistic science fiction beginning in the late 1970s and continuing through the 1980s signaled this cultural shift that many commentators compared to a revival of the boom in science fiction experienced in the 1940s through 1960s. The Space Race was once again a prominent cultural phenomena in the minds of the American public.

The growing political conservatism of the Reagan Revolution and the acceptance of nuclear power as an alternative to high oil prices for electricity and freighter ships also contributed to the downfall of "First-Wave Environmentalism". Between 1980 and 1990, dozens of nuclear power plants were launched and completed in the United States, supersonic transports became widespread with the drop in oil prices in the mid 1980s and the exploration and development of the solar system began in earnest. Eco-Terrorist organizations would continue to pop up through the 1980s and 1990s, without gaining popular support. In 1985 the ship known as Rainbow Warrior (owned by the organization of the same name) [1] was bombed and sunk by the French government.

[1] In OTL the late 1960s and 1970s is often seen as the time when environmentalism rose to prominence and gained widespread influence. In this timeline with the Vietnam war ending early the radical & violent elements of the New Left moved to take a greater influence in the early Environmental movement. With conservatism already rising with the election of Nixon, this leads to a massive backlash that cripples the movement for decades during which time a massive pro-Nuclear lobby builds itself up. The actual organization founded in 1969 was the "Don't make a wave" committee which would later rename itself Greenpeace.
[2] In OTL Rainbow Warrior was the actual name of a Greenpeace ship and it actually was sunk by the French government in 1985.

 

[Miss Teri]

Interesting that a pro-technology environmental movement has gained traction, as opposed to an increasingly anti-technology movement.

 

[Michel Van]

Some note on Post 40

in 1970 the group The "Don't Make a Wave Committee" made a meeting about there Future and Goals
On voting about how to fight, a narrow majority vote for Peaceful protest and so Greenpeace was born
The radicals formed they own group like Paul Watson and his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Here in ASTO the Vote goes for armed fight and Rainbow Warrior become first eco terrorist group
were Paul Watson start aktive combat against Whalers
In begin people become aware of problems of whale hunting and protest against it
But once Rainbow Warrior start to shoot and killed Whalers and Canadian seal hunter, the support dies
and one they start to blow up chemical plants and raid Animal labs, called up the Authority and Anti Terror teams.
off course the Media jump on bandwagon, portray them as Dangerous Maniacs Terrorist
and Hollywood finde the perfect movies villains like in the cult classic "Invasion USA"
Were Chuck Norris fights of a Invasion of eco terrorist group lead by Richard Lynch with plan to blow up US Nuclear plants.

The victim of this is environmental movement...

The French environmental movement almost destroyed them self in 1980s
Thanks to France 3 program 30 minute for free speech
First time i saw them, i believed to see french version of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
While the Far right Front National profiled themselves as political force.
in end 1990s the Greens gain momentum as alternative to old-established political Party and became coalition partner
They made some little victory like stop on Superphenix nuclear breeder Reactor (Ok it was do the extrem cost and accident with cooling loop, but was to get the Green on there side...)
Today French environmental movement is in down fall, thanks to lack to solve the french problems together with Socialist.
it's like in 1980s handful Green protester protected by police against angry mob of workers of Nuclear Power plant...

 

[Archibald]

First time i saw them, i believed to see french version of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"

You are unfair with the Python's Michel

The French greens are a pathetic bunch of assholes - Cecile Duflot, Jean Vincent Placé would sold their family (and convictions of course) for a ministry in the Hollande government. They have become ecology ayatollahs.

A reality which is extremely hard to swallow for worldwide ecologists (including the French ones) is that nuclear power has zero emission of CO2. The ecology movement was born in the 70's out of strong rejection of nuclear power, reinforced by TMI and of course, Chernobyl. But today the main emergency is to cut the CO2 emissions to diminish global warming, and there - like it or not !!) nuclear power is useful. This is major quandary, notably when a country like france earns 80% of its energy from 58 nuclear reactors.

They were right about Superphenix - that thing was a boiling cauldron of plutonium with 2000 tons of ultra-reactive sodium around it.

I come to understood a while back that Greenpeace origins are not exactly clear - the funders were extremists, at least some of them...

 

[SpaceGeek]

Spacelab (1974-1976)

Skylab" (designated Space Station-I or ST-1), America's first true Space Station was abandoned in August of 1973 after the departure of the third and final three-man CSM crew. These missions spanning ten months and three missions over 1972-1973 determined that Astronauts could live and work in space for 28, 59 and even 84 days continously. The Odyssey plan for the evolution of human spaceflight emphasised utilizing existing hardware, technologies and vehicles in the near term while developing newer hardware and technologies for introduction in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Spacelab was seen in this context as a "bride" between the Apollo and Apollo Applications Program hardware (short duration missions of three people on expendable hardware) and the mature reusable Space Tug, Nuclear Shuttle, Earth to Orbit Shuttle and Space Station Module which would allow large-scale crew rotation and resupply in LEO, Cis-lunar space, the Moon and beyond. To do this, a second OWS would be launched in 1974 with four 90 day missions performing a 360 day continuous occupation of the station (this was extended to 5 when it was realized that the Space Shuttle would be delayed by at least a year).

Finally on October 15, 1974 the second OWS dubbed "Spacelab" (designated Space Station-II or ST-2) was launched on the second two-stage Saturn V in it's unmanned configuration less than two years after the first. While intended as a near-clone of the original, Spacelab was markedly different in that it did not sustain the same damage Skylab incurred during launch (hence retaining the originally planned dual solar panel configuration).

Also unlike the original OWS, Spacelab was designed for be almost continuously occupied and utilized by a crew. While Skylab was abandoned by a departing crew and spent a number of months unmanned before the next crew arrived Spacelab would rotate crews in and out with new crews arriving just before the previous crew leaves (made possible by the two ports). To facilitate this mission durations were to be extended slightly to 90 days. However, despite the many improvements it fundamentally reused the same Saturn-Apollo hardware of three-man CSMs and Saturn IBs.

The full Apollo-Saturn launch vehicle family used 1972-1976.

Spacelab 2 (the first manned crew), departed October 16th 1974, just following the launch and successful deployment of Spacelab. Spacelab 2's crew included Vance D. Brand, Don L. Lind and William B. Lenoir with it's focus primarily centered around the solar sciences and astronomy. Simultaneous to this mission was the Helios 1 mission launched by NASA in cooperation with West Germany. After a 90 day mission they parachuted safely into the pacific ocean on January 13th 1974. The following crew was supposed to launch the previous day but was delayed to January 14th do to a technical failure in the computers systems at Mission Control. This was the second NASA crew to experience New Year's in Space (the first being Skylab 2 in 1972-1973) and the third to spend Christmas in space (the first two being Apollo 8 in 1968).

Spacelab 3 crew's Robert Crippen, Henry Hartsfield and Karl Gordon Henize gathered a substantial amount of astronomical information relating to stellar astronomy, extra-galactic phenomena and nebula/star formation. They returned to Earth three months later on April 14th 1975.

Spacelab 4 crew's Russell L. Schweickart, Eugene A. Cerman, Story Musgrave launched next in the penultimate mission of the Spacelab program. Their mission was primarily focused on long duration bio-medical studies (although it was a lesser focus on all Spacelab missions). Mission and cargo capabilities would be greatly extended if mission durations in excess of 90 days to 120 or 180 days could be sustained. None the less they were ordered back to Earth on July 15th 1975. Following this mission it became clear that the United States' Earth to Orbit Shuttle (EOS, a fully reusable winged TSTO space-plane) would be delayed from 1977 to 1978.

Spacelab 5's Thomas P. Stafford, Robert Parker and Anthony W. England launched on an Earth observation/survey mission in mid July 1975. Testing and experimenting with the technologies that would be used on NASA's Earth Resource Observation System (later renamed Landsat), the mission emphasised not just the scientific but also practical reasons for spaceflight (collecting data regarding the earth's weather, climate, agriculture, rainfall patterns, pollution, wildlife patterns, cloud formation patterns etc). With the last Apollo lunar mission having already returned to Earth, Spacelab 5 became the final American spaceflight until the launch of the Space Shuttle, parachuting into the pacific Ocean, October 1975.

The purpose of the Spacelab program extended beyond what Skylab had accomplished (proving three-month tours of duty in space was possible) to the challenge of operating a space station almost (although not completely) continuously, with constant crew and cargo rotation for a full year on end. This would prove crucial to future operations of what was still known simply as "Space Station-III". In addition, it was important to continue to train and fly the NASA astronauts in what would otherwise become a gap between the Apollo based programs and following programs utilizing Space Transportation System (STS, the hardware set for the Odyssey program) hardware.

The effects of three-month durations would also be studied on nine three-man crews allowed a greater sampling of potential risk factors for NASA scientists. Every inch of the Astronauts lives were studied from their diet, to their physiology, to their mental status, to their scientific productivity per hour. More data and information about human and physical factors relating to long duration spaceflight was gathered than in the entire history of human spaceflight up till then. A further advance was the introduction of the long delayed Astronaut Manuvering System (originally planned to debut in 1966 on Gemini 9) which would allow Astronauts to perform untethered Extra-vehicular activities. Previously, onboard Skylab the crew tested the AMU inside but now testing had begun on the exterior of the station.

To accomplish these aims the temporary restarting of Saturn IB production was grudgingly accepted. This was done with the explicit purpose of retiring the vehicle upon completion of the Spacelab program. The Space Shuttle was already set to replace the Saturn IB in the late 1970s and introducing an interim vehicle between the Saturn IB and Shuttle just for five launches didn't make economical sense and was seen by some in the Shuttle community as a needless distraction (some would say competition) from the centerpiece of low-cost spacelaunch. So while Saturn-Apollo hardware continued to perform NASA's Lunar and Orbital ambitions for the mid-late 1970s, the groundwork was already being laid for the next giant leap forward. At the same time Election year was approaching, and the possibility of a new Presidential Administration injected a sudden shock of uncertainty into the future. How far would the tides of history take the United States and Soviet Union into the ocean of space?

 

[Winicjusz]

I just read every part of this timeline. This great, good work guys.
You ended British Space Program, pity.

Subscribed.

 

[Michel Van]

Sorry about the interruption
SpaceGeek has problem with internet connection
we will return soon that problem is solve

 

[Michel Van]

Post 42 Soviet Space Activity in 1974

Prologue: The USSR's New Richness
The Yom Kippur War changed allot things for the Soviet Union.
A coalition of Arab started surprise attack against Israel on October 6, 1973.
Already early into the conflict Nixon and Kosygin tried to diplomatically stop the conflict.
But real force that ended the War was OPEC, they reduce the Oil production and raised the global price for crude oil from $3 to $12.
While western economies were thrown into chaos, the Soviet Union suddenly had a new export hit: cheap crude oil and Gas
The USSR was not a member of OPEC, so they could sell oil and Gas at lower price than OPEC to the West which brought billions of foreign currencies into Soviet treasury and interesting diplomatic deals with West Germany for construction of Gas pipeline from Siberia to Western Europa.
A lucrative deal once it was completed
One beneficiary was Ministry of General Maschine-Building Industry of USSR aka the Soviet Ministry of Space.

Rocket Improvement
There was a certain irony that USA and USSR were working simultaneously on improving their heavy Rockets.
NASA worked on next generation versions of the Saturn V, while OKB-1 worked on the Nositjel F-version.
This feature new engine NK-33 and the NK-43, an advanced version of NK-15,
High Pressure regeneratively cooled staged combustion cycle engine with unique feature, variable Oxygen-rich combustion, allowed variable Thrust level between 50% to 135 %
thanks to the use of synthetic hydrocarbon rocket fuel called Syntin, which gave those engines a smooth running combustion.
This make the Nositjel family more flexible to launch Payload, especially for the Soyuz version
In Block C the NK-21 engine was replaced by the NK-39 and static NK-9V of Block G was replace by a swivel mounted NK-31
The F-Version feature also improvement on structural design and an advanced "Control of Rocket Engines“ system (KORD)
But this was only a intermediate step toward the N1F-MV, with a Hydrogen/Oxygen engine upper stages able to launch the L3M complex to Moon.
If everything went well in 2 years the N1F-MV would make it test flight, putting the USSR ahead over the American Apollo missions.
First started the series of Soyuz-F and Proton-F test launch to see if the hardware was still promising.

Salyut 2
The military had their chance to test their version of Space stations.
Equipped with the Agat-1 Earth observation Telescope capable of a high resolution of under a meter in combination wide film camera.
The crews had to test the Agat-1 over Baikonur were target sets were installed, they had to photograph it, develop and scan that and transmit to ground in 30 minute.
Next to that they had to study Soviet water pollution, agricultural land, resource deposits and ice building in the Arctic sea
Another thing was the "Rikhter R-23“ gun design for "self-defense“ it had to be tested after second crew ended their mission.

Soyuz 9
On 3 July 1974 the first crew was launch to Salyut 2, on July 4 Yuri Artyukhin and Pavel Popovich docked to the Station.
After accommodation on board the Crew started the Agat-1 test on July 9.
During the 30 day mission the crew completed testing of Agat-1 and transmited photos to ground control and dropped film canisters in small return capsules to earth.
On August 7 the crew returned to Earth, thanks to two hours exercise per day on board the Station the crew was better condition than the first mission to Salyut 1

Zond 21
The Increased Solar activity during Soyuz 14 mission worried MoM about crew safety during Moon mission
They even consider to cancel the Zond Mission,
The Soviet Academy of science study the problem and came to this conclusion
The L3-Complex offered better radiation protection as Apollo craft, because LOK use the LK and the Block D as shield.
It could protect the Cosmonauts for low lever solar storm and bring them alive back but with radiation sickness.

"it’s nice that MoM do everting that we [cosmonauts] don’t get sunburn“ Vladimir Komarov, Head of the Cosmonaut team.

Finally on August 1974 the N1F made it maiden launch with Zond 21 with Fyodor Kuznec and Vladislav Volkov on board, the Lunar rocket made it job and L3 complex reached the Moon's orbit 5 days later.
Zond 21 had a novelty: Fyodor Kuznec, the first Geologist Cosmonaut to land on Moon.
A Russian born 1944 in Siberian, he was an aircraft pilot since his teen years who became temporary youth worker for Geological team of Raul-Yuri Ervier, which found in west Siberian oil and gas fields in 1960s
This led to Kuznec's education to become a geologist, his excellent flying skills with Airplane and Helicopter was notice by the Soviet Academy of Science who proposed him and others for the Zond program
In the following 5 years the 8 candidate underwent hard training selection only two men getting flight status, with Kuznec first to launch.
Also a novelty, Kuznec selected the landing site on Moon, Hadley rille in Mare Imbrium, he expected to find Volcanic evidence.
Lunokhod 12 was launch three months before Zond 21 and traveled to the landing site collecting samples before going into to Stand-by mode, transmitting radio landing signal.
This was used by Kuznec for precision landing near Lunokhod 12 between Hadley Rille and north of Spur crater.

„my Lunar ship flew like a bird, better as any aircraft i flew“ Kuznec after the landing.

On his first EVA he deployed the Soviet flag, the DALS and collected the Sample Container of Lunokhod 12, then he used the Rover to drive to Hedley Rille.
The Second EVA Kuznec used the improved Drill and took Core sample and used the Rover for a second drive to Spur crater
During the excursion Kuznec found an unusual stone with white specks in grey regolith, He realized that this was something interesting and collected it.

Then he return to the LK and back to the Moon's orbit, four days later the Return capsule landed safe in the USSR.

The Zond 21 result were sensational
Not only did he find green Moon rock (magnesium oxide) and porphyritic Basalt evidence for volcanic activity on moon.
That unusual sample now label "Kuznec rock“ is oldest piece of Lunar material found, 4.1 billion years old.

In the mean time the nine DALS and seven ALSEP package came up with a mystery, their seismic experiments found something strange
most moonquake start in region 700 to 1200 km under the lunar surface, also seem that seismic wave travelled 90 km high over around the moon core.
But why the seismic waves were not reflected from moon core, but bent around it no one can explain.

Kuznec foot steps on Moon

Mars 6 & 7
Launch as Mars probe 1973 A/B, were the second attempt to land probes on Mars, after disaster of Mars 4 & 5 probe.
The Orbiter were modified to take orders from ground control, once they drop the landers and goes into orbit around Mars.
On February and March 1974, the two drop there Landers and enter orbit. This time the weather on Mars was far better as 1971.
during decent the Lander send 224 second of atmosphere Data, sadly Mars 6 lander went silent during touchdown.
More lucky was Mars 7 Lander, design for 60 minute operation, it survived 112 minutes transmit panorama picture of Mars surface and deployed a small rover PROP-M

in Mean time the Orbiter used as transmitter relay for the lander, after that they start there observation program.
after 6 months the orbiter went silent.

Soyuz 10
In September the second mission went to Salyut 2.
Lev Dyomin and Gennadi Sarafanov's mission almost failed as their docking system malfunction during approach and they had to dock manually to Salyut 2.
After 5 days on board they started the first manned reconnaissance mission from orbit. That Mission is still classified and will remain so until the year 2024,
Officially they made experiments and studied the human heart and circulatory system under zero gravity.
After a successful mission of 29 day the crew returned to Earth.
19 day after they had left the Station, started the remote testing of the "Rikhter R-23“ gun, the result are still classified,
175 days after launch Salyut 2 reentered the Earth atmosphere and burned up.

Zond 22
In December the second Geologist cosmonaut made his lunar flight.
Yevenly myrgjol Sapozbik was internationally known for his research work on the 1908 Tunguska event and was the Soviets' top geologist for meteor craters.
At 46 years old he was also the oldest Cosmonaut sent to moon.
He also selected his target: the Small crater of Davy in Mare Nubium, the crater had unique features 7 km nearby a linear string of 23 tiny craters.
Those features were photograph by Zond 12 to 15 and Apollo 12 & 16
In Soviet Academy of Sciences believing several geologist, thought this was of Volcanic origin,
Sapozbik believed otherwise, this could be the result of one meteor broken into piece by tidal effect before impact.
The driver of Lunokhod 13 cursed Sapozbik target choice, they had drive into crater chain and collect samples.
The Lunar rover got stuck in the second to last crater of his tour, so the LK had to land nearby and Sapozbik walk down to it.

The Mission went not like ground control expected, Sapozbik did not deploy DALS or Soviet flag, but went first to Lunokhod 13 and got sample container.
Also he tried to drive the rover by manual control out crater with out luck, Ground control had to talk harsh to the insolence of Sapozbik ordering him to follow the EVA schedule.
After long discussion Sapozbik returned on foot to the LK put the Sample container in, then deployed DALS and went on to collect samples near by craters
Again after some dispute with Ground control, he return to LK to take a pause
On His second EVA he make core Drill sample, stored it in LK and went off to look for Geological feature on crater chain.
Ground control had hand full to persuade Sapozbik to return to LK, as he reach the six hour stay limit.
Finally he took off to lunar orbit, without raising the Soviet Flag or do report over Television (he not activate it )

On return of Zond 22 came consequences, Sapozbik was exclude from Cosmonauts corps for insubordination on Lunar surface.
Special the Politburo was angry because Sapozbik not raised the Soviet flag.
Vladimir Komarov was happy that problem Sapozbik was solved, now he could focusing on the newest hair-raising proposals from the Politburo.

But his findings and Samples proven his theory that Crater string is made by one and same meteor, not by volcanic or ejecta from Davy crater.
The result open new question because the moon gravitational field was not strong enough to brake that meteor.
Sapozbik came with new theory that the meteor past Earth to close, brake up by earth tidal effect, slingshot them to Moon, were the „chain of Meteor“ impacted.
This idea was heavily disputed by international Scientist, until 1994 with impact of Chain Comet Shoemaker-Levy-Marsden on Jupiter

for More Info on this TL check it's Wiki page

 

[generalurist]

Ok.... so the USSR just briefly became the West's primary oil supplier due to everyone else of note enacting an embargo.... I wonder what the hardliner "da commiez are evil!" people are making of this? Well, I hope some detente occurs, at any rate.

On another note, I wonder how close TTL will come to OTL's movie being an accurate prediction of the future?

subscribed!

 

[Michel Van]

Ok.... so the USSR just briefly became the West's primary oil supplier due to everyone else of note enacting an embargo.... I wonder what the hardliner "da commiez are evil!" people are making of this? Well, I hope some detente occurs, at any rate.

On another note, I wonder how close TTL will come to OTL's movie being an accurate prediction of the future?

subscribed!

OTL USSR made allot money with increased Oil price and cheaper Gas price, just like here, only with healthier Economy.

The Technology portray in Movie will comme, but that need time for R&D in 1970s and 1980s
Some of new technology will be already tested in next coming posts !

 

[SpaceGeek]

Ok.... so the USSR just briefly became the West's primary oil supplier due to everyone else of note enacting an embargo.... I wonder what the hardliner "da commiez are evil!" people are making of this? Well, I hope some detente occurs, at any rate.

On another note, I wonder how close TTL will come to OTL's movie being an accurate prediction of the future?

subscribed!

In OTL the USSR made allot of money from the increase in oil prices (either selling the same amount of oil for a higher price or selling much more oil for slightly cheaper, undercutting the Arabs). The difference is that in this timeline the Soviets are in a better economic position because not only do they benefit from higher oil prices, they also have an increasingly reformed market economy.

Détente occurs in this timeline, albeit slightly differently. There are differences but you can see the similarities.