Inspired by the Apollo Program Continues thread - though at this late date, its more likely to be a replacement for Apollo, rather than Apollo itself. The PoD is probably some years earlier.
On October 2, 1977, a Soyuz with a large forward module attached is launched toward the Moon (this replaces the OTL Salyut 6 and Soyuz 25 launches). On October 7, the module, about the size of a small school bus, is landed on the Moon by remote control. The Soviet press announces this as the first component of the 'Glorious Soviet Moonbase Tsiolkowskii'. A few days later, Soyuz 25 returns safely to the Earth. They also have some rhetoric about 'superior Communist engineering', 'the will of the Soviet People', 'the Tortise and the Hare', et cetra.
The module rather resembles a large fuel tank, suitable for hauling by lorry (semi-truck), sitting on top what looks like a stretched, eight-legged version of the Apollo LM Descent Stage.
So, how does the US, and the world, react to this latest strike in the Cold War?
On October 2, 1977, a Soyuz with a large forward module attached is launched toward the Moon (this replaces the OTL Salyut 6 and Soyuz 25 launches). On October 7, the module, about the size of a small school bus, is landed on the Moon by remote control. The Soviet press announces this as the first component of the 'Glorious Soviet Moonbase Tsiolkowskii'. A few days later, Soyuz 25 returns safely to the Earth. They also have some rhetoric about 'superior Communist engineering', 'the will of the Soviet People', 'the Tortise and the Hare', et cetra.
The module rather resembles a large fuel tank, suitable for hauling by lorry (semi-truck), sitting on top what looks like a stretched, eight-legged version of the Apollo LM Descent Stage.
So, how does the US, and the world, react to this latest strike in the Cold War?