I'd say that satellites could be put up by around 1950. The Redstone missile first flew in 1952. It served as the core of the Jupiter satellite launcher, whose upper stages were relatively simple solid rocket motors. The Redstone itself was, basically, a scaled-up V-2. Von Braun planned, under the Reich, to use a V-2 derivative to put a satellite up by 1950.
Crewed missions to LEO: 1955, atop one of those Super V-2s.
Lunar missions...1965, maybe. The materials challenges of building engines strong enough to put some hundred metric tons in Low Earth Orbit mean that no booster strong enough is going to exist until around that year, barring a POD that generally accelerates materials science.
That's always the possibility, to have science accelerated - so in a way, the question really is, what is the most primitive technology that can be used to get into a space race?
That's always the possibility, to have science accelerated - so in a way, the question really is, what is the most primitive technology that can be used to get into a space race?
No- we need the war for the tech it develops.
no problemI'd say that satellites could be put up by around 1950. The Redstone missile first flew in 1952. It served as the core of the Jupiter satellite launcher, whose upper stages were relatively simple solid rocket motors. The Redstone itself was, basically, a scaled-up V-2. Von Braun planned, under the Reich, to use a V-2 derivative to put a satellite up by 1950.
Ummm... by '55, yes. You'd need something better than a Redstone, though. A modified Redstone with solid boosters, maybe.Crewed missions to LEO: 1955, atop one of those Super V-2s.
Ja. Actually, that early, you're probably looking at Space Station, EOR and LOR. But that's all doable, if expensive, with 'small' rockets.Lunar missions...1965, maybe. The materials challenges of building engines strong enough to put some hundred metric tons in Low Earth Orbit mean that no booster strong enough is going to exist until around that year, barring a POD that generally accelerates materials science.
Umm... what 20?
The dates I'm seeing here are only 5 years in advance of OTL, or so.