Sequel to Stephen Baxter novel "Voyage"

[Archibald]

Minor updates to the story (after reading the book again and again these days)

I thought Voyage was unrealistic if one considered NASA budgets plus the unchanged row of Presidents (Carter, Nixon...)

I was wrong.

With the S-II as injection stage, Skylab derivative for the crew, and a CSM to bring the astronauts back to Earth, the only new start would be the MEM.
All other stuff is derivative of existing hardware, thus not very expensive.
According to this blog, cost of the MEM (= Mars Lander) would have been $4.1 billion.
http://beyondapollo.blogspot.com/2009_09_06_archive.html
The shuttle cost NASA $6.5 billion between 1972 and 1981.

NERVA was another start, but half of it had been funded already (1955 - 1970, up to the XE-prime) and in the book it is cancelled after the nuclear disaster. That should free lot of money for the MEM.

Another interesting element in the book is the MEM engine: it uses Methane, and one of the character briefly mentions an ISSP experiment (fuel production on Mars).
It looks like Ares may morphe into Mars Direct in the 90's.

 

[alt_historian]

Thanks Archie, interesting as always!

Though it was always a shame that many of OTL's unmanned probes, such as (ironically enough) the Voyager probes - were cancelled in the Voyage universe. Of course, that was just Baxter demonstrating that there are always likely to be tradeoffs.

 

[Archibald]

Somedays I have to imagine the ultimate MEM mission (set in 1978 in Von Braun plans, 1984 in Voyage). No, not the Mars landing.

The E mission see John Young and Robert Crippen bring back a (reinforced) MEM through the Earth atmosphere and landing it, vertically, at Edwards.
Kind of giant Apollo cone-shaped capsule landing vertically on Roger Dry Lake, with T-38s and helicopter buzzing around... yummy !

 

[Douglas]

To be fair, there isn't an unchanged line-up of presidents, as there is a certain President Agnew in the Voyage-verse.

 

[alt_historian]

To be fair, there isn't an unchanged line-up of presidents, as there is a certain President Agnew in the Voyage-verse.

... what?

He's Vice-President, yes. As he was IRL, as far as I'm aware.

 

[Archibald]

Thanks Archie, interesting as always!

Though it was always a shame that many of OTL's unmanned probes, such as (ironically enough) the Voyager probes - were cancelled in the Voyage universe. Of course, that was just Baxter demonstrating that there are always likely to be tradeoffs.

A true slaughter, with Viking/ Voyager/ Hubble canned.

The idea is also to demonstrate that "Apollo to Mars" would have completely undermined, distorted NASA. Or even killed the agency.
The alt-history I'm (painstakingly !) writting intents to go the opposite way.
Explore the solar system (up to Phobos) ok. But within a reasonable budget, and without canning unmanned explorers to reach the goal. Of course that takes more time, but that's doable for NASA = 1.5 % of US federal expense (not Apollo 4.5 % of 1966).

 

[Polish Eagle]

A true slaughter, with Viking/ Voyager/ Hubble canned.

The idea is also to demonstrate that "Apollo to Mars" would have completely undermined, distorted NASA. Or even killed the agency.
The alt-history I'm (painstakingly !) writting intents to go the opposite way.
Explore the solar system (up to Phobos) ok. But within a reasonable budget, and without canning unmanned explorers to reach the goal. Of course that takes more time, but that's doable for NASA = 1.5 % of US federal expense (not Apollo 4.5 % of 1966).

As an optimist, I might say that the loss of Voyager can be a reason to send more modern probes to each of the gas giants later on. I mean, picture Galileo to Jupiter, Cassini to Saturn, Herschel to Uranus, Galle to Neptune, and maybe Tombaugh to Pluto. But that's just my happy mind.

Also, where are you going with the astronauts on Mars meeting aliens? And my second question is whether a variation of Mars Direct will appear with Dr. Zubrin as NASA deputy administrator.