NASA Crash into USSR?

Cook

Banned
Also more realistic based on capsule design and orbital mechanics. I can't see us keeping the cosmonauts, either, though depending on where they land they might be in trouble...

Same result, just substitute White House for Kremlin and Cosmonaut for Astronaut etc.

Kiat’s correct.

A NASA astronaut would be repatriated, after a thorough health check-up at the Soviet Union’s best Hospital and a state dinner and photo opportunity with Nikita Khrushchev at the Kremlin.

There would be smiles and handshakes all round, and the Soviets would take the opportunity to remind everyone that their space craft don’t go crashing down on people’s heads and the Americans would graciously smile through gritted teeth and thank the USSR for the help in rescuing the astronaut and his good treatment. This was after all the world’s highest profile sporting event. Photo opportunities were what it was all about.

The American capsule would be examined and then put on public display in Moscow beside a Soviet Vostok, the Soviets taking every opportunity to demonstrate the clear superiority of their craft over the primitive American Mercury capsule. It would not be returned as it is a salvaged wreck and the Soviets are under no obligation to return it.
 


Same result, just substitute White House for Kremlin and Cosmonaut for Astronaut etc.


No, I meant that it was conceivable that if (say) they landed in the Rockies or on the Great Plains, they might be killed by local wildlife (they did have some scares OTL, after all), or possibly shot by locals who just know they don't like Soviets and don't realize they're cosmonauts. I suppose the same is certainly possible of American astronauts landing the Soviet Union.
 

Cook

Banned
No, I meant that it was conceivable that if (say) they landed in the Rockies or on the Great Plains, they might be killed by local wildlife (they did have some scares OTL, after all), or possibly shot by locals who just know they don't like Soviets and don't realize they're cosmonauts. I suppose the same is certainly possible of American astronauts landing the Soviet Union.

Dying of exposure or animal attack would certainly be a possibility, more so in the Soviet Union than the United States.

In that case expect repatriation with full military honours, a condolence book signing in the Kremlin with Khrushchev and Gagarin the first to sign.

You may even had a agreement to give notification to each other prior to a haunch so that emergency services in both countries could be put on alert. That would be less likely.

A shooting of a Cosmonaut or Astronaut I’d say would have been unlikely. This was the biggest thing happening at the time.
 
At some point in the '60s, cosmonauts were equipped with pistols to protect them from animals, so they should be safe from those kinds of threats.
 
For Apollo 1 Soviet newspapers and Moscow radio called the incident: "A tragedy".
Radio said: "We in Soviet Union are deeply grieved at the news of tragedy of Cape Kennedy".
It said the three Astronauts: "Courage..won our esteem and we join in payng homage to their memories.....
we send our heathfelt sympaty to their relatives and friends".
The Cosmonauts were very impressed to the news.
 
Dying of exposure or animal attack would certainly be a possibility, more so in the Soviet Union than the United States...

Right, cosmonauts were equipped to defend themselve against wildlife and survive in the wilderness for days awaiting a rescue. Now, some Russkie-hating American mountain man shooting & killing them would create quite the international incident.
 
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