How would the Space Race Play out if Nixon won in 1960?

RandomUser5752

If Richard Nixon defeated JFK in the election of 1960, what effect would his administration have on the Space Race? Would there still be an Apollo Program, or perhaps an alternate Moon program? Would he even give NASA the funds for a Moonshot at all? The Soviets certainly weren't gonna stop launching things, it was great propaganda for them.
 

Garrison

Donor
I think things would only change if it somehow led to the USA getting a man in space first, but I'm not sure if there is any decision that Nixon could alter that would make a difference.
 

Polish Eagle

A Nixon election still means Gagarin gets to orbit first, so the historical circumstances favoring a moonshot still exist. The Democrats are going to pound the administration for continuing to be soft on missile tech. So the details could be very different, even if the goal is the same; certainly, I don't think Nixon would be so supportive of building a facility in Houston.
 

Juumanistra

Polish Eagle said:
A Nixon election still means Gagarin gets to orbit first, so the historical circumstances favoring a moonshot still exist. The Democrats are going to pound the administration for continuing to be soft on missile tech. So the details could be very different, even if the goal is the same; certainly, I don't think Nixon would be so supportive of building a facility in Houston.
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This would generally be my take. There's a world of difference between firmly committing to a Lunar mission as an outgrowth and evolution of the original, pre-JFK Apollo program and the boots-on-the-Moon-by-1970 Apollo program ordained with the blood of the martyred JFK we got OTL. As by 1960 you've already got the various Saturn design studies on-going as well as a commitment to the F-1's development, so you will end up with a powerful heavy-lifter by the middle of the decade in any event. As President Nixon is certainly not going to take his foot off the fiscal accelerator so long as it appears that the U.S. is behind in the Space Race. (Even if the Space Race is headed towards a different destination than OTL.)

Besides, a world where original Apollo's left to do its thing might mean we get the adoption of GE's Apollo proposal, which would be a glorious workhorse that could still be in use today.
 
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RanulfC

Nixon in the White House is not as 'Red' sensitive as Kennedy was and has less incentive to throw resources at a "Moon shot" which, keep in mind, even Kennedy second guessed once it was made. My take is since Nixon will be focused more on Cuba, (and the invasion thereof) he might 'joggle' the elbow of NASA to ensure at least an American is first in "space" even if not orbit so Sheppard flies on time with Von Braun being overruled and America claiming a 'first' before the Soviets.

Yes it will likely be made a point of the difference between sub-orbital and orbital but America will have other things on it's mind at that point. Most likely Nixon will propose an orbital Space Station program using the upcoming Saturn launch vehicle and Gemini spacecraft to bridge the gap between Mercury and Apollo. Apollo already implied a orbital and Lunar focus so that would be pushed but not to the extent we see OTL.

Randy
 
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