AHC: Earliest possible Mars colony

Why would anyone do such a TL?
The US planners would know they didn't have the life support, and not attempt the mission.

I could see the Soviets trying a shoestring operation that gets unlucky (especially if they can get the N1 or a variant to work), but not the US.

Because they didn't know as much in the 1970s as today? I mean, the space shuttle blew up fairly often.
 
The best solution for a Mars mission and colony back in the 1970's (perhaps even late 1960's) was the Project Orion nuclear pulse propulsion system.

Here's a link to good details about Project Orion:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion)

And here's a link to a BBC documentary that went into great detail about Project Orion:

According to prominent experts involved with the Project Orion, the project was within the technological capabilities of the late 1960's USA.

The "Super Orion" spaceship version designed by General Atomics was capable of lifting a ship 400 meters (1312 feet) in diameter, weighing 8 million tons, from the surface of the Earth all the way to a landing on Mars. The spacecraft could be the size of a small town, with a similar population and complex infrastructure.

The Project Orion spaceships are still the best solution to launch colony ships from Earth and establish settlements around the Solar System.
 
The best solution for a Mars mission and colony back in the 1970's (perhaps even late 1960's) was the Project Orion nuclear pulse propulsion system.

Here's a link to good details about Project Orion:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion)

And here's a link to a BBC documentary that went into great detail about Project Orion:

According to prominent experts involved with the Project Orion, the project was within the technological capabilities of the late 1960's USA.

The "Super Orion" spaceship version designed by General Atomics was capable of lifting a ship 400 meters (1312 feet) in diameter, weighing 8 million tons, from the surface of the Earth all the way to a landing on Mars. The spacecraft could be the size of a small town, with a similar population and complex infrastructure.

The Project Orion spaceships are still the best solution to launch colony ships from Earth and establish settlements around the Solar System.
I'm reading that book now. I love the idea and it would be great if you could bring a research station with a full team of scientists rather then a capsule but it's a hard sell politically to say it nicely by the 70s
 
For hardware no problems there were Zillions Ideas that get you to Mars and Beyond
Biggest Problem is to get this colony Idea true Capitol Hill and Not end up in a straitjacket...

Once you manage that and got billions and billions of US Dollars to trow into NASA.
then Apollo is simply learning program how to build the Hardware and build bigger rockets
in Fact until 1964 NASA study Nova rockets for Manned Mars mission, they had to launch one million pound payload into orbit
Two of companies Douglas and Convair went a step further

Douglas proposed ROMBUS a reusable and refuel Heavy Launcher, once in orbit refuel, it could carry cargo to Moon or Mars

Convair offert NEXUS reusable single stage Heavy Launcher and complete mission architecture called EMPIRE
let's Krafft A. Ehricke explain you the concept personally
 
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