Manned Venus Flyby

As it says on the tin, what if, in 1973, NASA had gone ahead with it's plans for a manned Venus flyby mission? Would this have any real effect at all?

On a side note, could the Apollo-Soyuz and Skylab have been put to better use?

Yes. The resources used for Apollo-Soyuz and Skylab could have been used for a Venus flyby.

The effect would be another giant middle finger to the Russians. However, I think there would be little of scientific value gained unless the mission includes radar to map out the surface.
 
A manned Venus mission, in addition to giving a giant finger to the Russians, would certainly give us a great deal of knowledge regarding long-term space travel.

Also the loss of the Skylab program might have rammifications re: the ISS and the Space Shuttle. In the latter case, without plans for a space station (perhaps now regarded as pointless), the Military gets a purpose built reusable launch vehicle for payloads...

This might also lead to interesting rammifications re: the ISS. Without the experience of Skylab, perhaps the ISS is abandoned in favour of an international manned mission to Mars? The craft would be assembled in orbit and then launched in the early 21st century.
 
Polish Eagle said:
The effect would be another giant middle finger to the Russians. However, I think there would be little of scientific value gained unless the mission includes radar to map out the surface.
A manned Venus flyby is a crappy, crappy mission. There's essentially nothing of scientific value to be gained that can't be done far, far better by a much cheaper orbital unmanned probe, and even the prestige implications kinda suck. You're stuffing a couple of guys in a can to fly around the Solar System for 2-3 years doing...well, just about nothing. And letting them suffer from substantially increased radiation levels to boot. Woo-hoo. I predict that the astronauts will either flat-out refuse, revolt en masse within a few weeks, or start killing each other in a similar timeframe. At least with a Mars mission you have the payoff of being on Mars at the end to look forward too, and an astronaut might actually be useful.
 
A manned Venus flyby is a crappy, crappy mission. There's essentially nothing of scientific value to be gained that can't be done far, far better by a much cheaper orbital unmanned probe, and even the prestige implications kinda suck.
Or for that matter a couple of orbital probes, one for Venus and one for the Sun.

You're stuffing a couple of guys in a can to fly around the Solar System for 2-3 years doing...well, just about nothing.
You could give them space station experiments to do, eg growing crystals, measuring the effect of zero gravity on bubble gum bubbles, etc.

I predict that the astronauts will either flat-out refuse, revolt en masse within a few weeks, or start killing each other in a similar timeframe.
Some idiot would volunteer for the ride if only for the kudos of having made the trip.

Whilst it may not have been the most sensible of ideas, it is better to have a few wacky ideas like it floating around than nothing.
 
A manned Venus mission, in addition to giving a giant finger to the Russians, would certainly give us a great deal of knowledge regarding long-term space travel.

Also the loss of the Skylab program might have rammifications re: the ISS and the Space Shuttle. In the latter case, without plans for a space station (perhaps now regarded as pointless), the Military gets a purpose built reusable launch vehicle for payloads...

This might also lead to interesting rammifications re: the ISS. Without the experience of Skylab, perhaps the ISS is abandoned in favour of an international manned mission to Mars? The craft would be assembled in orbit and then launched in the early 21st century.

The thing about anything "International" is that it is extremely difficult to do. A Mars Mission that has a chance of reaching the red planet within 10 years of the first nickel spent on it is built in 2 pieces, with no orbital assembly. Unless the international partners settle for manufacturing the less visible components (electronics, life support, furniture, etc.), they won't be doing much.

For better or worse, ISS is the first real on orbit assembly experience anyone's ever had. Therefore, a Mars Mission launched without the ISS before it will either be simple, affordable, and launched from Earth, or experience the budget overruns ISS has had ITTL.

However, the Venus mission could help provide experience for a 2 year Mars Mission. If they have the bright idea of spinning the habitation unit on the way, they have artificial gravity. That would be useful experience for the 6-month one way and 18-month surface stay of Mars.
 
America's Reaction

1973. This the time of Watergate, the final acts of Vietnam, and the start of the energy crisis. Many talk of this time as a low point for the country's self image. If the country sees this as major as the moon landing, could it have changed its mood so there is no period of malaise? Could it have been a distraction from Watergate? If there wasn't so down in 1980, would we be talking about that great olympic hockey victory but not a "Miracle on Ice"?
 
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