habitable neighor planets

let us assume Venus and Mars are just habitable for Humans
(like Venus rotate 24 hours (not 240 days) and Mars is more massive)

wat inpact on Cold War Space Programs ?

after the fist space probe discover that the planets are habitable
it change political decisions
in OTL as probe show Mars look more like Moon and Venus is a Hell
intrest for Manned fights to there wend to Zero


means the Moonrace is only first step in Space Race
who reach first the Planets will become major goal in Space Race

in U.S. Politican change goal to the planets
NASA start Post Saturn-V booster development
with 1000000 pound (453 metric tons) Payload

one proposal were Philip Bono ROMBUS (Reusable !)
see
http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/rombus.htm
ROMBUS can be used as mainhardware for Deep Space Mission
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/proelena.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/proeimos.htm
even as intercontinental troop transporter or Passengers flights
http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/ithacus.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/pegvtovl.htm

with change goal in Space Race in 1964
the New Booster are ready around 1974
so the U.S. First Mars Mission can land on 4 juli 1976
a nice nice gift for 200 year celebration of USA ...


It's a very long way to Mars by rocket: I'd think we'd want to put rather more time learning how to keep a crew alive in space for a couple years [1], developing better methods of radiation protection, etc. before we'd be up to sending people to Mars. Also, the cost and reusability projections of the ROMBUS seem rather optimistic at best. Agreed that a Mars and Venus with native lifeforms would be a huge boost for the manned space program, but '76 seems a bit early for a manned landing. A crapload of landers, crawlers, orbiters, etc. seems likelier for the first decade or so. (Of course, if the orbiter detects Massive Martian Cities, all bets are off, and even the Orion project might get dusted off).

Bruce

[1] given present studies of the probable damage due to radiation on a long trip, it's quite possible Mars in '76 means dead Astonauts before they can get back.
 
It's a very long way to Mars by rocket: I'd think we'd want to put rather more time learning how to keep a crew alive in space for a couple years [1], developing better methods of radiation protection, etc. before we'd be up to sending people to Mars. Also, the cost and reusability projections of the ROMBUS seem rather optimistic at best. Agreed that a Mars and Venus with native lifeforms would be a huge boost for the manned space program, but '76 seems a bit early for a manned landing. A crapload of landers, crawlers, orbiters, etc. seems likelier for the first decade or so. (Of course, if the orbiter detects Massive Martian Cities, all bets are off, and even the Orion project might get dusted off).

Bruce

[1] given present studies of the probable damage due to radiation on a long trip, it's quite possible Mars in '76 means dead Astonauts before they can get back.

flight time for the crew is 830 Day (DEMIOS proposal)
longes stay time on bord of a Space Station
is 437 day by Waleri Poljakow on MIR

with Mars Program start 1964
they will made orbital Station test like MORL or Skylab in 1968
so around 1975 they have some experience in Longstay in Orbit for 7 years

for Solar flare and radiation
DEMIOS has Radiation "Bunker" for Crew in Emergency

for Problems of microgravity on Astronauts
DEMIOS maker Douglas proposed dual-place centrifuge for Crews
by the way, all Douglas Mars Mission desgin had dual-place centrifuge

and for Resupply just launch a cargorocket to Mars
who waits until Expedition arrive
 
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