The Selene Project

[Shevek23]

Good, OTL situation in reverse - Europe rules, NASA merely follow.

Not only is an Anglo-French program on track to put humans on the Moon before the USA can, but Silver Star/Constellation clearly has the seeds of a reusable space launch system that makes it quite competitive with the proposed Pegasus. The schemes to recover and reuse Orion engines, or indeed to recover the booster stages in toto, are on the same track as I suggested could transform Pegasus.

The difference being of course that the recovered SS or C components would not be the stages that reach orbit, but rather the booster stages; to develop the ability to recover the engines required to reach orbit would be a completely new project, one that enables retrieval of components from full orbital speed, which would be much more challenging. But this is the challenge the Americans have taken on.

Meanwhile the Shuttle proposal that has been accepted in the USA apparently does nothing to recover the solid boosters, which correspond to the booster elements the British have attempted to make reusable. OTL the solid boosters of STS were recovered and refurbished--but this hardly proved to be much of an economic benefit, because a solid rocket is mostly made of the propellant.

And also because they would "splash" into the ocean and need to be fished out and returned to base--there to be broken into its segments which would be shipped over the continent to the Thiokol operation in the west, where they'd be filled with propellant (after inspection and refurbishment--the salt water float having done them no good), then shipped back full to Canaveral to be reassembled. (Clearly if NASA had been more serious about the solids being an economically reusable item, they'd have insisted on the facilities to refurbish and refill them being on site at Canaveral--and perhaps this could have enabled a less compromised structure for the boosters as well).

The proposals to recover Orion engines, or even entire Silver Star stages, on the other hand are considerably more advanced in this time line. A liquid fueled rocket typically will incur most of its cost in the engine; if a system can be developed to recover that engine and that engine can then be used many times, some serious economic progress is being made. If one can recover and reuse the tankage as well, then even if the upper stages are not being reused, the lower one will be, and the booster stage is the most massive by far--true of STS as much as of Saturn or Constellation. Mass roughly corresponds to cost.

Meanwhile, if there is a market for a reusable Anglo-French launcher system, funds should be forthcoming to not only perfect some version of reusable Silver Star, but to develop some degree of recoverability of the orbiting stage engine as well, or possibly the entire upper stage.

At that point, a launch system based on fully recoverable Silver Star (which implies at least partially recoverable Constellation) would be clearly superior to the American Shuttle, and to Pegasus as well--more recovery than the former, and the latter is not recoverable at all. Perhaps in response the Americans will develop liquid fueled boosters to replace the solids, and recover and reuse them, thus answering the implied challenge.

Honestly, I'd think that in such a TL, sooner or later the Americans are going to react to their slipping situation and do something dramatic to assert their superiority. Specifically, I can't see Nixon simply shrugging off the "Mouse on the Moon" scenario--note how vigorously the Kennedy and Johnson administrations tried to divert the British away from Black Anvil, and with it Selene. Failing to keep their lead by negative means, facing the fact that to discourage the Anglo-French project would be to rupture the most important alliances the US keeps, I'd think that economic woes or none, Nixon would kick NASA's Lunar program into overdrive rather than put it on the back burner, and leave the Shuttle as someone else's issue. Bearing in mind that he seeks to be re-elected in 1972 and not leave office until 1977, if the British and French can land someone on the Moon before November '76, the egg will not only be on his personal face but overshadow whichever Republican he has promoted as that year's candidate.

He would be strongly motivated to reverse this negative publicity with a prior US success, one which (assuming his re-election in 1972) would be clearly a Nixon and Republican legacy.

By this point, pretty much through 1970, the Americans would have to do something desperate to catch up and guarantee the ability to beat Selene in the event the European project makes optimal progress. Still, they have some three years; they are in a stronger position than the OTL US space program was in 1966 I would think. With the Saturn III in hand, brute force solutions that lack elegance or economy but can take advantage of the impressive mass to orbit should be considered; vice versa OTL NASA considered some real shoe-string ventures to barely place an astronaut on the moon and retrieve him; these ought to be dusted off and reconsidered in view of existing technology.

To accomplish a mission as elegant and capable as the OTL Apollo before Selene can reach the Moon would probably require panic budgets comparable to what NASA got OTL in the mid-60s, and that is probably not in the cards--though the President might make the case strongly enough to get it. But I would think that in an age where no human being has landed on the Moon yet, whereas the Soviets have done the stunt of a circumlunar flight, enough money to enable some sort of landing mission to be the first on the Moon would be forthcoming, and the program would take priority.

I can't see a President like Nixon or a country like my own in the early Seventies, simply relaxing and hoping it will be the British and French on a skimpy budget that beats the Russians to the first lunar landing, and resigning the whole race to those two and maybe the Chinese. While the race is yet to be won, I can't see Americans dropping out of it.

Though I suppose I could see them procrastinating along to 1969 or so before panicking and realizing they could lose, not just to the Soviets, but to their European sidekicks as well, and then realizing that the race has gotten real, that either competitor might pull it off before the USA is quite ready.

But not choosing, as Nixon has done here, to forget about the Moon Race and focus on a Shuttle program instead.

 

[sts-200]

[quote Archibald Good, OTL situation in reverse - Europe rules, NASA merely follow. ]
...
The proposals to recover Orion engines, or even entire Silver Star stages, on the other hand are considerably more advanced in this time line. A liquid fueled rocket typically will incur most of its cost in the engine; if a system can be developed to recover that engine and that engine can then be used many times, some serious economic progress is being made. If one can recover and reuse the tankage as well, then even if the upper stages are not being reused, the lower one will be, and the booster stage is the most massive by far--true of STS as much as of Saturn or Constellation. Mass roughly corresponds to cost.

I think Archibald may have been partly joking.
Overall, NASA still has a much more capable and better funded program than either Selene or the Soviets.

Honestly, I'd think that in such a TL, sooner or later the Americans are going to react to their slipping situation and do something dramatic to assert their superiority. Specifically, I can't see Nixon simply shrugging off the "Mouse on the Moon" scenario--note how vigorously the Kennedy and Johnson administrations tried to divert the British away from Black Anvil, and with it Selene. Failing to keep their lead by negative means, facing the fact that to discourage the Anglo-French project would be to rupture the most important alliances the US keeps, I'd think that economic woes or none, Nixon would kick NASA's Lunar program into overdrive rather than put it on the back burner, and leave the Shuttle as someone else's issue. Bearing in mind that he seeks to be re-elected in 1972 and not leave office until 1977, if the British and French can land someone on the Moon before November '76, the egg will not only be on his personal face but overshadow whichever Republican he has promoted as that year's candidate.

He would be strongly motivated to reverse this negative publicity with a prior US success, one which (assuming his re-election in 1972) would be clearly a Nixon and Republican legacy.

By this point, pretty much through 1970, the Americans would have to do something desperate to catch up and guarantee the ability to beat Selene in the event the European project makes optimal progress. Still, they have some three years; they are in a stronger position than the OTL US space program was in 1966 I would think. With the Saturn III in hand, brute force solutions that lack elegance or economy but can take advantage of the impressive mass to orbit should be considered; vice versa OTL NASA considered some real shoe-string ventures to barely place an astronaut on the moon and retrieve him; these ought to be dusted off and reconsidered in view of existing technology.

To accomplish a mission as elegant and capable as the OTL Apollo before Selene can reach the Moon would probably require panic budgets comparable to what NASA got OTL in the mid-60s, and that is probably not in the cards--though the President might make the case strongly enough to get it. But I would think that in an age where no human being has landed on the Moon yet, whereas the Soviets have done the stunt of a circumlunar flight, enough money to enable some sort of landing mission to be the first on the Moon would be forthcoming, and the program would take priority.

I can't see a President like Nixon or a country like my own in the early Seventies, simply relaxing and hoping it will be the British and French on a skimpy budget that beats the Russians to the first lunar landing, and resigning the whole race to those two and maybe the Chinese. While the race is yet to be won, I can't see Americans dropping out of it.

Though I suppose I could see them procrastinating along to 1969 or so before panicking and realizing they could lose, not just to the Soviets, but to their European sidekicks as well, and then realizing that the race has gotten real, that either competitor might pull it off before the USA is quite ready.

But not choosing, as Nixon has done here, to forget about the Moon Race and focus on a Shuttle program instead.

There is no doubt that even here in the 1970 of the story, the US could go (and almost certainly beat) everyone else to the Moon if they wanted. The question is - do they want to?

NASA hasn’t been quite the obsession that it was in the real 60s, and the feeling that the space race was won in 1961 when Shepherd went into orbit made a difference in the early days. However, since then NASA has flown a small spaceplane, launched 2 space stations (with a third due in early '71) and a has a more capable station in development. Now, they have started a Shuttle program to provide "cheap" (well, cheaper) access to space. Nixon's Shuttle announcement in late September - spreading the contracts and money around - would be fairly well timed for the Congressional elections.

Of course, in the story Americans are still Americans, so expecting them not to react at all to the Russian/Selene “challenge” would be absurd, but they don’t necessarily have to react by competing directly.

 

[sts-200]

C'est du la merde !

Aurora 8​

Aurora 8 will be the most complex mission yet flown by the Selene Project. The “Pasteur”, the first complete PROM/VDL-B spacecraft is much closer to the design that will land on the Moon than anything that has flown so far. The recent changes to the design of the VDL-C have not affected the various VDL-B prototypes that are already in the final stages of assembly; Aurora 8 will test fly the first of these spacecraft.

A single stage Silver Star launcher delivers the two part ship into a 204x206km orbit. The crew separate the Pasteur from the booster at T+0:13 and move away using the VDL's small RCS engines. Unlike the PROM, where the thrusters use the same fuel as the main engine, these use Hydrazine and Nitrogen Tetroxide, fed by gas pressure from separate tanks. The VDL-Bs that will be flown on Auroras 8 to 12 will all be different, depending on the tests that are to be performed. This particular craft does not carry a main engine.
A series of basic manoeuvers to "get the feel" of the ship and test the control links with the PROM is begun, but is interrupted at T+0:57 by an alarm warning. One of the fuel cells on board the VDL has ceased to produce power. Several attempts to “regenerate” the cell (purge it of impurities) fail and the crew move on with testing the ship - the remaining two cells are adequate for the mission.

Tests on the second day of the flight focus on the other electrical systems of the VDL and activation of the experimental landing radar. Radar signals are successfully detected from Earth and a rendezvous later in the day with the spent booster core allows the radar to lock on to a real target and feed distance data back to the PROM's computer. On a lunar mission, the system will be used to detect the lunar surface and provide both altitude and velocity data to the computer during the landing.

Power problems intensify on day 3, when another fuel cell fails. This one failed relatively slowly, suggesting that its electrodes of membrane may have become contaminated during use. Again, attempts to regenerate it fail, leaving the VDL with only one fuel cell and an auxiliary battery left to supply power. To reduce the load on the VDL, the PROM is switched over to its own generators. Once alarms are quietened and the problem identified, the crew proceed with the flight plan - a spacewalk over to the VDL's landing control cockpit. This is one of the key objectives of the flight and takes on greater urgency now that the VDL has little reserve power. The PROM's hatch is opened at T+45:05 and both crewmembers gently drift out of the RM and make their way "down" the side of the PROM to the VDL’s flight deck.

[Interlude]
The decision to fit an unpressurised control cockpit to the VDL was a risky one, but can be regarded as one of the best design decisions of the Selene Project.

Early concepts fitted in with science fiction preconceptions of how a spaceship should be controlled - two pilots in an aircraft-like cockpit, surrounded by their dials and controls. They would sit comfortably in their flight couches as they controlled the ship all the way to the Moon. Almost immediately, any such arrangement was found to be far too heavy; it would mean fitting duplicate controls, heavy windows, increased life support, heating systems … the list went on.

The next idea was to integrate the landing controls with those of the PROM. As it was a separate spacecraft, the PROM already had all the instruments needed to fly in space on its own. To land, the astronauts would be lying back in their seats inside the re-entry module, with access to all the flight controls. TV displays would show the lunar surface, and the images would even be overlaid with numbers showing the necessary flight data (simple today, but in 1964 the idea of electronically overlaying moving data on a TV image was at the cutting edge of technology).

However, this too was rejected. The weight of the TV displays, cameras and electronics was prohibitive and the pilots didn't like the idea of lying on their backs during landing. Their instincts would be wrong and they would be totally reliant on the electronic displays. What finally killed the idea was the fact that the design of the PROM needed to be finalised in 1966. There was no possibility of completing the design of such a complex system before then.

The final concept was bold but simple. To land the VDL, the pilots would stand in their spacesuits in an unpressurised flight control area fitted to the side of the VDL's main deck. With no windows or seats, visibility would be excellent - far better than an aircraft cockpit - and the lack of a pressurized cabin saved over 300kg of dry weight in the VDL's structure. The need to spacewalk over to the control area would require some additional time, but was not regarded as an additional problem; the crew had to be equipped to walk on the Moon and manipulate controls and tools in space anyway.


Back on Aurora 8, Cdr. Guy Larosse reaches the control cockpit and switches on the first of dozens of controls on the VDL's flight deck. He is joined within a minute by navigator Arnold Hughes and they proceed to activate all of the VDL's flight controls. Over the next three and a half hours, they complete two short thruster firings, update the PROM's navigation platform remotely and practice parts of the procedure needed to set the ship up for a lunar landing.

They then move around the deck of the VDL to the surface habitat and enter it. The original flight plan called for them to check out the systems of the Hab and spend the “night” rest period inside, however the power problems make it unsafe to do this. They do, however, activate the systems inside the Hab, seal the hatch and successfully pressurise the interior with breathable Oxygen. They remove their spacesuit helmets and gloves and test the function of several of the Hab’s systems before being interrupted by another alarm (unexpectedly demonstrating that works too!).

The last fuel cell has failed and the VDL is now operating on battery power alone. With around 5 hours of reserve power, the situation is not critical and the crew calmly complete a shortened series of checks inside the Hab, before depressurising it and returning to the PROM. Their two spacewalks last a total of 5 hours 8 minutes, setting a new record for Selene. Once securely back in the PROM, most of the VDL’s systems are switched off to conserve the battery for one last test tomorrow. While the crew rest, the combined ship orbits under the control of the PROM's on board systems.

Day 4 was to have been a further checkout of the VDL's controls, with several orbit changes using the thrusters. Due to the loss of the fuel cells, the plan is now reduced to testing the separation systems that will ultimately allow the PROM to lift off from the lunar surface.
At T+68:02 the PROM's engine ignites and less than half a second later, explosive clamps release and allow the PROM to briskly accelerate away. Cameras film the event via mirrors outside the windows of the re-entry module. The film shows a ring of debris blasted away from the VDL by the engine’s exhaust, but otherwise the VDL appears to be in good shape after separation (it continues to send telemetry for nearly five hours).

After a 10 second burn, the crew shutdown the PROM’s engine and pitch up to track the VDL as it recedes from view. During the rest of their day, they practice a run through of lunar orbit and trans-Earth injection checklists, simulating what Selene crews will need to do on their way home from the Moon.
Their lunar checkout mission now over, day 5 consists of Earth atmospheric observation using new IR and UV film cameras. They toast in 1971 at T+93:42 with a non-alcoholic fruit juice (which both crewmembers describe as "not much like the real thing"*). A short de-orbit burn is made at T+101:45 and they splash down in the Indian Ocean thirty nine minutes later.

In the first hours of 1971, Selene’s fifth manned mission returns safely to Earth. 1970 had seen the fortunes of the Selene Project transformed. At the start of the year, the Project was hard-pressed, suffering too many failures and still dealing with the fallout of the re-organisation of 1968. By the end of the year, Anglo-French co-operation had reached new heights, two probes had touched down on the lunar surface and the Project had proved that it could meet the Russian challenge by sending a manned flight around the Moon. Although perhaps not widely appreciated at the time, 1970 saw one other change; for the first time, the Americans started to take Selene seriously.


* At least that was the story from the Selene public relations commentator, who was listening in on the radio at mission control and broadcasting live updates to the public. Arnold Hughes later stated that what his French commander actually said was phrased

 

[Shevek23]

[...
[Interlude]
The decision to fit an unpressurised control cockpit to the VDL was a risky one, but can be regarded as one of the best design decisions of the Selene Project....
The final concept was bold but simple. To land the VDL, the pilots would stand in their spacesuits in an unpressurised flight control area fitted to the side of the VDL's main deck. With no windows or seats, visibility would be excellent - far better than an aircraft cockpit - and the lack of a pressurized cabin saved over 300kg of dry weight in the VDL's structure. The need to spacewalk over to the control area would require some additional time, but was not regarded as an additional problem; the crew had to be equipped to walk on the Moon and manipulate controls and tools in space anyway.
...

Why not go one further, and have them lie prone, on their bellies, handling controls and reading displays below them? That would get them a panoramic view of the approaching surface.

The main thing I'd worry about would be the hazard of debris being kicked up by the engine exhaust as the ship touches down, hitting their helmet visors and cracking them. This hazard is only somewhat mitigated by them standing up and looking down past their own bodies.

 

[Michel Van]

if i recall correctly the expression is

C'est du la merde !

 

[sts-200]

if i recall correctly the expression is

C'est du la merde !

Merci!

I yield to the superior knowledge of someone who actually speaks French.
Edited ... although whether you call better swearing an improvement depends on your point of view

 

[sts-200]

Why not go one further, and have them lie prone, on their bellies, handling controls and reading displays below them? That would get them a panoramic view of the approaching surface.

The main thing I'd worry about would be the hazard of debris being kicked up by the engine exhaust as the ship touches down, hitting their helmet visors and cracking them. This hazard is only somewhat mitigated by them standing up and looking down past their own bodies.

Yes, it would, but pilots are conservative creatures and I can't see it being popular - there's a chapter on similar issues coming up in a while. It wasn't popular when the RAE tried it on a plane in the 50s (probably the USAF has tried it too). With the open cockpit arrangement, they'd be able to see about 65 degrees below the vehicle's horizontal, which should be good enough. In the crucial last minutes of landing, they are looking more "forward" than "down".

They're fairly safe from debris strikes. They would be standing on a deck on top of the structure. The engine is in the middle at the bottom so between them and any direct debris path is the structure of the vehicle and the propellant tanks.

At the point of landing, the rocket blast is actually quite feeble. With the engine throttled back, by the time it reaches the surface (remember it expands in all directions into vacuum) its only equivalent to a strongish wind on Earth. As Apollo showed, that is more than enough to kick up the very fine lunar dust - as on Earth a decent breeze will blow sand about - but not enough for large rocks or anything likely to do much damage.

 

[sts-200]

What … has the World ended?

Jan-71
ICL complete a second generation PROM computer. Sometimes called the "Mk2", but officially the Spacecraft Central Computer (SCC), it includes much more capable technology than the original 1963/4 design. Improvements within the industry and access to US research have given ICL the confidence to include both integrated and hybrid circuits in the design. Use of the new DRAM memory was rejected on the grounds that the technology was still too new for mission-critical applications.
The new design is capable of operating at a speed of 1.414MHz, up from the 525KHz of the original design. When combined with improvements in the instruction set and the erasable memory, this increase has resulted in a computer with over three times the processing power and able to handle twice as many hardware input/output channels.
Significant changes have been made to the computer's permanent memory. The programs needed to run all main spacecraft functions are still hard wired, however details and constants that are specific to individual missions can now be stored on electronic memory chips that can be written on the ground, and installed after the computer is integrated with the spacecraft. Appropriately enough, this is called Programmable Read Only Memory or PROM.
The new SCC is also equipped with a separate magnetic tape memory which can be used for storage of data from spacecraft sensors and systems. The tape can also carry programs for the computer to run, however these cannot be accessed in "real time" for mission critical events. They are, however, likely to be extremely useful for automated spacecraft checkout both on the ground and in space. The computer is built to be the same size as the original and can run the same basic software. The only downside is the power consumption, which has risen to 80W (or 102W with the tape drive active).

Jan-71 Overseas
NASA launches Spacelab 3 on Saturn III booster SA-308
This time, all goes well and the booster places the 63t space station into a 350km Earth orbit. It successfully deploys its solar arrays and assumes a stable attitude.
Four days later, the crew of Apollo 12/S dock with the lab to begin a 55 day mission, focussing on Earth and atmospheric observation. The mission attracts some criticism over the inclusion of several days of secret observation and co-operation with an Air Force exercise.


Jan-71
An ECPS stage fails on the test stand near Toulouse. Film of the test shows an explosion originating near the top of one of the engine bells, close to several propellant feed lines.
The launch of CLV-1c will be delayed until the cause of the failure is found.

HSD agree to a Canadian request to modify their existing order for Hermes-class satellites.
The first, planned for launch later in the year, will fly as ordered. The second will now be built to the "Mk.2" specification and launched in 1973.


Feb-71
West German broadcasting federation ARD formally places an order for a Hermes Mk.2 TV relay satellite. Following delays with the Federal regulator and with funding guarantees, the broadcasters are keen for the spacecraft to be launched as soon as possible. However, neither satellite nor launch vehicle can be ready before the middle of 1974 and the Germans drive a hard bargain - pointing out that they made a downpayment to "reserve" a satellite in 1969. The deal is agreed at £31M, substantially less than previous sales to Japan and Canada.


OTR-26
Blue Streak test and training flight from Benbecula. This last operational test of the Blue Streak deterrent missile encounters no major problems.
Range: 1,625mi, impact 1,900' from target point.

Feb-71 Overseas
The unmanned Soviet rover Lunokhod 1 lands on the Moon. It is driven more than 7km across the lunar surface over the next 5 months, until the drive unit is reported to have failed. Communication with the static rover is maintained until June 1972. The mission returns nearly 8,000 TV images and uses a spectrometer to measure the composition of the lunar surface at 117 locations.


Feb-71
In an announcement that shocks Britain to the core, Rolls-Royce is declared bankrupt and enters receivership.
Despite widespread concern, the British government refuses to nationalise the firm as the scale of its debts are unknown. The government only offers to guarantee the future of those parts of the company which supply Britain's military. Foremost amongst these is the production of Orion rocket engines for Black Anvil deterrent missiles. The guarantee does not mention Orion engines intended for the space programme, or the troubled RB-211 programme that is vital to Lockheed’s Tristar airliner.

The Selene Board report to national governments on the progress of the Project over the past year and the plans for 1971.
Two completely successful robotic landers and three manned flights have proven many of the concepts and techniques that will underpin the manned landings.
Four manned flights in Earth orbit are planned for 1971. These will test the systems of the VDL lunar lander, including the first orbital test of the variable-throttle engine that will allow the VDL to make a precisely controlled descent. The last two flights will incorporate ICL’s new PROM computer.
Two test flights of the Constellation core and ECPS stage are planned for the year. If either of these fail, a third vehicle will be available in December.
The Board also presents draft plans for the manned lunar landings. Timing is still dependant on the success of tests flight this year and next, but initial decisions need to be made and “long lead” orders placed this year in order to be ready for 1973/4.
Of the 11 modified missile cores that will be available by the end of 1973, five are earmarked for test flights, two will support pathfinder flights to the Moon and two will be used for the first manned landing attempt. A second manned landing attempt will be flown in the spring of 1974.
The Board's draft plan then calls for four further flights during the period to the end of 1976.
They seek to make Flights 4 and 6 into three-launch "extended scientific" missions. Flight 5 will be a two launch flight to a specific area of scientific interest - possibly a follow up visit to site 3 or 4, or to a one-off target of opportunity.
After this, the Project could be developed in several ways; the Board suggests that either a lunar base or co-operation with the US in building an Earth orbit space station should be put under consideration.

Investigators conclude that the fuel cell failures on Aurora 8 were primarily due to contamination in the Hydrogen fuel. A lower grade of Hydrogen was loaded in Australia for the flight than had been used in the tests carried out in France. Ground trials closely duplicate the faults seen on the flight, with the ion exchange membrane becoming unable to function within 2-3 days. The report also criticises the fragility of the cell design and the processes used to clean the reactant tanks during construction.

Mar-71
Intelsat 4A-2
SSLV-16 launches the second of two satellites built by Hawker Siddeley for the Intelsat Organisation. 4A-2 is delivered into a 35,525x36,020km orbit 7 hours after liftoff. The satellite is operation until January 1976, when generator fluid leaks prompt it to be shut down. It appears that venting after shutdown caused the spacecraft to enter a spin. It can be seen today through a small telescope or binoculars and can produce very bright "flares" - the sun reflecting off its large solar concentrators.


Aerospatiale engineers find evidence of thermal stress in the feed lines of the ECPS stage that exploded in January.
It this thought that the many tests carried out on the stage may have weakened the structure. During all tests, the fuel lines were repeatedly cooled to 20K, then allowed to warm back to ambient temperature once the stage is drained. The feed line in question is double skinned, made of sheets of thin aluminium with a thermal insulation layer in between to avoid air liquefying around the ultra cold Hydrogen. It is thought that the insulation may have expanded over time, eventually rupturing the line.

Both British and French governments come down heavily on the long term ambitions of the Selene Board. Funding a lunar base or an extended series of lunar flights is out of the question. Neither nation feels that this is the time to commit to any specific timetable for an extended space programme.
French opinion tends towards the view that the Project will have served its purpose once a landing has been accomplished. Their aerospace industry has developed in leaps and bounds since 1963 and future research should be specific to France's needs, or in co-operation with other European countries.
Although there is little desire in Britain for a long term commitment to Selene, the memory of projects begun then abandoned is still fresh, epitomising the view that Britain is a “nation in decline”. The idea of landing once and then scrapping the entire system is not regarded as acceptable. At the very least, the results of the first missions should be analysed before any firm decisions are made.

The Chancellor makes a statement concerning the government's position with regard to Rolls-Royce. His statement includes a commitment to maintaining Orion engine production for defence and civil operations. Discussions with customers and creditors surrounding the future of the RB-211 civil turbofan are underway and further details cannot be released at present.


FA-9 Black Anvil operational test and training flight from Rainbow Beach. Target points are know to be in the vicinity of Christmas Island. Details remain classified.


Apr-71
Software to control the descent of the VDL to the lunar surface is tested on a mainframe computer at Manchester University.
The tests validate the behaviour of the guidance algorithm and help to develop the various feedback constants and timings needed to ensure a smooth, controlled descent.
A rocket ascent from the surface of the Earth is usually optimised for a single target orbit and for an efficient trajectory. The lunar descent trajectory is different, as it must factor in the need for the crew to see the landing site and allow them to alter the targeted landing point during the final descent, all while still maintaining an efficient flight path.
The solution developed is a two stage descent.
The first, "braking" phase is largely optimised for efficiency and will serve to slow the VDL down from its orbital speed of about 1,690m/s. Altitude will also be allowed to decrease from the 15km of the initial orbit. The goals of the braking phase are to damp out any errors in the starting position and velocity. When the phase ends, the VDL should be at an altitude of 3,320m and 10km ground distance from the landing site, descending at a flight path angle of 18deg with a speed of 110m/s.

At this point, the second "targeting" phase will begin. During the few seconds of the braking phase, the VDL should be pitched back at a sufficiently shallow angle to allow the crew to see their landing site (or at least the terrain around it), initially from a distance of about 20km. This time should allow them to identify the landing site. Once they are closer, they can then identify any course corrections needed to make a landing near the VDL-Cargo lander, or avoid rocks and craters.
Once they enter the Targeting Phase, the flight computer will drive a mechanical sighting device to show the position of the currently designated landing site. The pilot (normally the Commander) can then adjust this target point using a joystick control. The newly designated site will then be displayed through the sight and the VDL will be automatically steered towards that point.

Investigations into the ECPS explosion are concluded. Painstaking analysis of telemetry and fragments of the fuel feed system around the engines have led to the conclusion that the main liquid Hydrogen line failed.
The design of the line is found to be flawed. Repeated cooling to the ultra-low operating temperatures caused microscopic stress cracks to form in the walls of the line. Eventually, these weakened the line to the point that vibration from the engine caused it to fail. The insulated line consists of two layers, and the outer jacket would have retained the liquid Hydrogen without any significant leaks, however, fragments of the broken inner pipe and its insulation would have been drawn into the fuel pump, causing it to explode and spray high pressure Hydrogen over the hot engine.
Fire damage to the test stand is still being repaired, however the solution to the fuel line problem is remarkably simple. The line was designed with thick walls to cope with pressure shocks when starting and stopping the engine. Since the engine was first tested, changes to the pumps and startup techniques have greatly reduced these shocks, meaning that the line does not need to be as strong. A thinner walled design will not suffer from the same level of thermal stress and should solve the problem. In the interim, the ECPS stage on CLV-1c will have its “old design” line replaced with a brand new one (with no cracks) to allow the test flight to proceed while the new design is completed.


OFT-1
First "Operational Flight Test" of a Black Anvil missile from a hardened shelter on Christmas Island, carried out by the RAF’s 254 Strategic Missile Squadron.
These tests will be the equivalent of the "Operational Test and Readiness" flights of Blue Streak, conducted to train personnel and test the missiles and systems on a regular basis. Several future flights will be conducted in co-operation with the USAF’s Operation Snowfall, in which the inert Black Anvil re-entry vehicles are targeted at sites in the US to allow detailed tracking and assist in the development of an American anti-ballistic missile system.

Apr-71 Overseas
Grumman Aerospace completes a system review of their Shuttle program. Since the award of the contract, intensive studies and improved data have allowed the scope of the program to become more focussed. The Shuttle started as a series of designs, incorporating variable numbers of boost motors and different flight profiles according to the type of mission. More detailed analysis of engine performance, structural design and control systems have since allowed the Shuttle to be reduced to a single design, capable of meeting all the requirements of the original specification (subject to one minor revision, which NASA has agreed). All Shuttle launches will be made in a common configuration, which will consist of two UA-1207B solid rocket motors, an expendable tank containing 1.2Mlbs of Hydrogen/Oxygen fuel and the re-usable orbiter with its four J-2R engines.
Thiokol have confirmed they can tailor their solid rocket motor design to produce varying thrust levels that will reduce stresses on the stack at key phases of the flight. This, together with a change in the load paths have allowed the external tank design to be made lighter.
This two-booster configuration will allow the Shuttle to carry a 30,000lb payload on a short, low altitude mission with 3 or 4 crew. Up to 8 crew could be carried on higher or longer flights if the payload is reduced. NASA therefore envisages two types of mission:
– “satellite deployment” flights, in which the Shuttle launches with a crew of only 3 into a 200-250km orbit to deploy or retrieve a payload, returning after just 2 or 3 days.
– Longer “scientific” or “resupply” missions, in which the Shuttle visits a space station or conducts experiments in higher 300-400km orbits with crews of 6-8. These flights will require more in-space propulsion and supplies, reducing the amount of deployable payload that can be carried. Allowing for docking systems and storage, NASA believes that these flight could deliver 10,000lbs of cargo to a space station, as well as rotating up to 5 crewmembers.

Both NASA and the USAF start the development of “mission kits” for the shuttle to enhance the orbiter’s basic abilities and allow for specialist tasks such as berthing or satellite retrieval. Details of the USAF’s requirements remain classified, however construction of a Space Shuttle launch and landing facility at Vandenburg Air Force Base is due to start later in the year.

The reduction in complexity will save not only money but time. Although nominally a 5 year program, the Shuttle’s schedule was already slipping and the first flight looked likely to happen in late 1976. The standardised configuration means that a first flight in 1975 now seems a realistic possibility.

 

[sts-200]

The New Motor

Aurora 9​

Commander John Roberts and Navigator Phillipe Walderon lift off from Rainbow Beach and ride their PROM/VDL-B “Faraday” into a 177km circular orbit. The Silver Star launcher injects a record 16.85t payload; this ship is heavier as it includes the variable throttle SNECMA R-1065 engine and 4t of fuel in its tanks. The mission's main objective is to test this engine in space, including the full range of throttled firing that will be needed to land on the Moon.

After separation from the rocket, the VDL’s small thrusters are used to raise the orbit to a more stable 190km and the remainder of the first day is spent in acclimatising to the space environment, post launch checkout and Earth observation. At T+23:15 on day 2 (mission "days" are defined from wakeup time in the crew's personal day-night cycle, to help avoid the "spacelag" experienced by earlier Selene and NASA crews), the crew make their first spacewalk to the VDL's flight deck, activate its controls and test the basic functions of the ship. Over the next 6 hours they re-calibrate the VDL's navigation platform, practice taking star and ground sightings and fly the ship through a series of thruster manoeuvres, similar to those that will eventually be used when entering lunar orbit and in preparation for landing.
They are happy to report that the fuel cells seem to be behaving themselves; a high purity grade of Hydrogen has been loaded on this flight.

With greater confidence in the vehicle than on Aurora 8, the crew end their spacewalk by entering the VDL's surface hab, activating its systems and pressurising it. They spend the "night" in the hab, while the ship’s stability is carefully monitored by ground control (there are no flight controls inside the hab).

At T+47:02 on Day 3, they prepare for a simulated Moon walk. In the zero-G environment of Earth orbit they will never leave the deck of the VDL, but the spacewalk will be the first chance to practice donning their spacesuits and installing the bulky backpack that is designed to provide astronauts with a mobile life support system when on the lunar surface. While they are outside, Walderon tries out a new design of over-glove, boots and a cargo harness system; all intended for use on the lunar surface. The astronauts' comments are not entirely encouraging; when on the daylight side of their orbit, they report they can easily overheat when conducting more complex or energetic tasks. The cargo harness is described as "impossible to put on"; it requires the efforts of both crewmen over 15 minutes to attach it to Walderon's suit. At the end of the spacewalk, the crew re-enter the VDL hab to remove the backpacks and shut down the hab’s systems. A short spacewalk later in the day sees the crew to move back into the PROM.

Day 4 is in many ways the main event of the mission, the first firing of the R-1065 descent engine in space. For this, the crew will remain on board the PROM during the burn (as they would during lunar orbit insertion). Just in case anything goes wrong, they are reasonably protected inside a separate spacecraft.

However, all goes well and the first pump fed, variable throttle, Hydrogen fuelled rocket engine ever to fly ignites smoothly at T+75:31. The first burn lasts only 28s and is conducted at the minimum throttle setting of 25%. Two hours later, the engine is fired again, this time for 182s, including nearly two minutes at full power. The engine behaves as expected, delivering a maximum of 59.9kN of thrust at a specific impulse of 422.1s. The crew report that it feels very smooth, although ground controllers (who have access to more detailed data and displays than the crew) note that the amount of propellant used to "chill down" the engine prior to firing is greater than expected.
During the burns, ground controllers see that the RCS thrusters and engine gimbals are very active, with other sensors suggesting that the fuel is "sloshing" about inside the tanks, causing the entire vehicle to yaw and leading to small but rapid variations in the pressure inside the tanks. If this happened while the vehicle were descending towards the Moon, the unwanted oscillation of the ship and the potential for interruption of the fuel supply to the engine could prove disastrous. Overnight, VDL engineers hurry to plan a series of pitch manoeuvers to help them characterise the exact nature of the problem. For the Day 5 burn, the crew make a spacewalk out to the VDL’s cockpit, as they would for a lunar landing. During 102s of engine operation, a range of throttle settings are tested and the crew deliberately make two "snap pitch manoeuvers", causing the VDL to pitch as rapidly as possible to disturb the liquid in the tanks and allow the ground to monitor the resultant oscillation of the ship.
Once the burn is complete, the crew start to shut down the VDL in preparation for PROM separation.

At T+124:16 the PROM fires its main engine for 8s to blast away from the VDL. For the crew, the separation is smooth but ground controllers see problems immediately. Telemetry from the PROM ceases at the moment of separation, although voice contact from the crew is still coming in. The sudden loss of telemetry leads several controllers to think that something is seriously wrong, despite the crew continuing to talk to the ground. Urgent calls by the CapCom go unanswered for a heart-stopping 30 seconds, until it becomes clear that the crew are calmly describing the receding VDL and seem not to have noticed that there is anything wrong. They have clearly not heard the ground calls.
Two way communication is re-established at T+124:17:31 and Cdr Roberts is able to confirm that the PROM is in good shape. Some telemetry signals are reacquired at T+124:23, when the crew are asked to switch to the low gain antenna. Clearly, there is something wrong with the high gain system. A methodical checkout confirms the status of the PROM to the ground and the crew unstrap from their seats around an hour later. Through a mirror beside one of the side portholes, Walderon soon notices the twisted remains of the high gain antenna sticking out at an odd angle from the side of their Propulsion Module. Clearly it was hit by something during separation from the VDL.

Day 7 is an Earth observation day, and the crew also complete a practice of a lunar orbit departure sequence. As the PROM is carrying very little fuel, they do not actually fire the engine, but run through all the sequences and checks they would use if they were returning home from the Moon.

Back on the ground, Nord Aviation engineers have made an urgent request to flight controllers to try to obtain better photographs of the discarded VDL, to help them determine what damaged the antenna. Although the VDL is known to be in a slow spin, it is still sending telemetry to the ground and Nord engineers are confident that it is safe for the PROM to approach; its thrusters are switched off and the fuel tanks have been vented. While the crew sleep, Biscarosse prepares a modified plan for Day 8. At T+173:15, the PROM makes the first in a series of thruster burns to rendezvous with the VDL. Approaching to within 30m of the discarded stage, Walderon takes numerous colour photographs of the upper deck and the damage caused by separation while the Commander pilots the ship. They spend nearly an hour flying in close proximity, before moving away to begin preparations for re-entry.
The Faraday splashes down safely in the Pacific at T+182:05.

 

[sts-200]

Only So Much Can Be Done

Apr-71 Overseas
NASA launches Apollo 13/S to the Spacelab 3 station. The crew set a new endurance record, spending 75 days in orbit. The flight plan called for an 85 day stay, however they were brought home early after extreme tiredness and a series of minor medical problems start to affect their performance. After the post flight debriefing, and incorporating lessons learned from the Spacelab 2 flight, mission planners agree that all future long duration missions must include rest or light-duty days for the crews.


May-71
Selene astronaut Mike Suttler is injured in a crash of a Lunar Landing Development Vehicle near Llanbedr Airfield. While making an approach from over the sea, his landing radar malfunctions and the autopilot sends the helicopter into a steep dive. He takes manual control and starts to pull out, but is too low to complete the recovery and the Wessex hits the sea hard. Although he and the two flight engineers on board escape before the aircraft sinks, Suttler is injured by the crash. He is found to have broken several ribs, one of which has caused damage to his right lung. His injuries are such that it is clearly no longer possible for him to command Aurora 11, which is scheduled to fly later in the year.

Selene technicians practice techniques for using a fuel transfer system, which links a mockup of the PROM with one of the tanks that will be carried on a VDL-Cargo lander.
This is one of the critical parts of the "Lunar Surface Rendezvous" mission concept that was chosen for Selene in 1964. When the crew land on board their VDL-C, their Earth-return PROM spacecraft will not be fully fuelled. Their first task when on the surface is not exploration or science, but to load fuel into the PROM from a VDL-Cargo lander that would have touched down a few weeks earlier. The mission plan calls for the crewed flight to land 250-500m from the VDL-Cargo and use an electrically driven truck to move four large tanks containing the liquid Oxygen and Methane needed the fill up the PROM.
As the crew will be unable to return to Earth unless this process is completed, the technology behind it is kept as simple as is practical. Restrained by basic winches and gas struts, the force of the Moon’s gravity will allow each of the four tanks to hinge out and down the side of the VDL-Cargo onto the truck which will pull it over to the lander. A flexible metal line will be clamped onto a fitting on the tank and gas pressure inside will act to transfer the liquid fuel up to the PROM without the need for a pump.
If the truck fails, the crew's “lunar car” should be able to pull it. If that fails, they can manually haul it across to the lander using a winch and anchor mechanism. Each tank will have a mass of around 2,000kg, but that will only feel like 300kg in the low lunar gravity.

The 1971 Paris airshow includes an engineering model of a complete VDL/PROM spacecraft, set up as if it were on the lunar surface. A large number of French built rocket engines and missiles are on display, emphasising the degree to which France's aerospace sector has expanded in the last few years. However, the highlight of the show is the Boeing 7227 supersonic airliner on its first visit to Europe. The aircraft has already received orders from BOAC, Air France and KLM, but Boeing are keen to expand sales to other European and new Far Eastern airlines.

Lockheed and Rolls-Royce negotiate amended contracts and financial backing which allow them to proceed with the L-1011 Tristar and its RB-211 engines. After months of diplomacy, both American and British governments have agreed to underwrite the firms in order to prevent a significant number of job losses.

May-71 Overseas
The Soviet Soyuz 8 mission spends 11 days in Earth orbit carrying a crew of three. The flight is described as a test of an "improved Soyuz vehicle". US and British intelligence track the spacecraft, which makes several large manoeuvers while in orbit and achieves a peak altitude of nearly 900km, something no ordinary Soyuz could possibly do. Sources later show that this was a test of the Soyuz-LOK, the Soviets' equivalent of the Apollo spacecraft and that it was launched on the large "Proton" booster.


Jun-71
The first hardware-integrated simulation of the VDL landing procedure is run at the Selene computing facility near Biscarrose. The computers are linked to full size mockups of the controls of a VDL, inputs from which feed back into a digital model of the vehicle’s behaviour.
Even with no astronaut input, the system achieves a pinpoint landing, making its simulated touchdown at just 0.96m/s, 2.9m from the planned target, both of which are easily within requirements. Under these perfect conditions, the landing is completed with 1,100kg of fuel in reserve, an improvement on earlier trajectories which had a 950kg margin. Future simulations will test the various corrections and updates which the astronauts may need to make during flight.


CLV-1c
The first launch of the Constellation programme is a test flight of the ECPS upper stage that will ultimately carry crews to the Moon. Unlike the more capable three-core vehicles that are planned to fly from next year, CLV-1c uses only a single core and carries no payload other than the test and telemetry equipment.
Thrust to weight ratio at liftoff is a mere 1.17 and the single modified Silver Star core moves slowly off the pad. Unlike normal Silver Stars, which carry only about 30t of payload and upper stage, this strengthened version is lifting more than 160t; the weight of a fully fuelled ECPS and its nosecone.
These modified cores do not drop any of their booster engines. On this flight, all seven engines burn together until the entire stage shuts down and separates from the ECPS at an altitude of 86km. Two seconds after separation, the four-chambered R1450 engine ignites and the upper stage heads for orbit. Telemetry is received through a ground station in New Zealand, confirming that the stage has reached orbit in good shape with approximately 35t of propellant remaining on board.
Over the next half hour the stage coasts across the Pacific before being acquired by a tracking station in French Guiana. A sequence of engine precooling, electronic checks and thruster burns precedes the re-ignition of the main engine four minutes later, this time for a 100s burn. The burn uses up almost all of the remaining fuel and accelerates the stage into a solar orbit between the Earth and Mars. Ground stations in France and the UK track it until the batteries are exhausted 11 hours after liftoff.
The flight is almost flawless, apart from a solenoid valve failure before the second burn. Two valves were supposed to allow ultra-cold Hydrogen to cool down parts of the engine before ignition, however only one opened. This does not seem to have affected the performance of the engine.


Jul-71
The designs of the core systems and structures of the VDL-C and VDL-Cargo are frozen.
Relatively minor changes over the past 6 months included increased insulation on the LH2 fuel tanks and the addition of "idle mode" plumbing to the R-1065 engine. This allows the engine to operate at very low thrust using tank pressure alone (i.e. without running the pumps) and will provide greater flexibility when making course corrections on the way to the Moon and in lunar orbit.

British and French governments informally agree to an outline programme of three lunar flights after the first landing attempt on Selene 5. All of these will be "2 launch" missions, requiring an additional 12 Silver Star cores and 4 ECPS stages (equipment for Selene 6 has already been ordered).
It is planned to fly all three missions by the end of 1975 and the Selene Board may now proceed with preparatory work orders for the necessary stages and the spacecraft. Very limited expenditure is authorised for missions beyond this. Several paper planning exercises may take place, however no contracts for hardware are to be let.

The commander of Aurora 6, Jacques Gautier, fails a medical exam due to eye problems and is removed from flight status. It is also confirmed that Mike Suttler will not be returning to the flight roster after his crash in May.

Photographs of the VDL and the damaged antenna on Aurora 9, together with close analysis of the telemetry from the separation event show that one of the cable connectors that link the VDL and the PROM had not retracted properly when the vehicles separated. This was compounded by the decision to deploy the high gain antenna before separation in order to send more data back to mission control. The "fix" is very simple - stronger springs in the retraction system and a mission rule not to deploy the antenna before separation.


Aug-71
The policy of keeping the same Selene and Aurora crews together is questioned.
Medical problems with Jacques Gautier and Mike Suttler's recent crash have thrown the crew rotation into disarray. Suttler's place on Aurora 11 has been filled by advancing the training of Australian astronaut James Lyon, in a move which also helps to satisfy the political desire for an early flight by an Australian crewmember.
Jacques Gautier and Malcolm Leyton-Arnold were scheduled to fly on Selene 3, the first lunar orbit mission, in late 1972 and have been in training for this for some time.
The crew of Selene 1, Randall and Poincare, have had much of their time taken up with publicity events and it is widely felt they should not be risked on any further flights before the first landing [ultimately both leave the Selene Project before they are assigned to another flight].
Further discussion is placed on hold when the Selene Board indicates that flight schedules are likely to be revised in the near future.

Meanwhile, the Board meets to discuss the continuing delays with booster deliveries and crew training. It is now accepted that no additional funding will be made available from any of the Selene partner nations. Indications are that funding will be stable in 1972, with reductions in '73 and '74. Shortage of both money and personnel mean that delays in the schedule cannot be made up. The Project is faced with either accepting the delays or reducing the scope of work.
The good news is that what is being done seems to be going well; recent test flights of the VDL and ECPS have been complete successes.

 

[Archibald]

Whatever the universe, those 1G lunar landers vehicles remain quite dangerous . OTL of three LLTV two crashed, one with Neil Arsmtrong himself. Noone was hurt.

Still following that TL closely. How far do you intend to carry it ?

 

[sts-200]

Whatever the universe, those 1G lunar landers vehicles remain quite dangerous . OTL of three LLTV two crashed, one with Neil Arsmtrong himself. Noone was hurt.

There's no good way of doing it, or at least there wasn't back then.
With a helicopter the Selene guys have a real aircraft around them. On the other hand, the NASA versions had ejector seats.

Still following that TL closely. How far do you intend to carry it ?

Until I get to the end, then I'll stop...

Seriously, the story runs up to the end of the Project and that isn't the present day. I'll leave you in suspense as to when and how that happens.
The next instalment will cover some of the mid-term planning that is going on.

 

[sts-200]

No Distractions

The Road to the Moon​

The ramshackle organisation that was Selene under the Selene Project Committee was finally pushed into shape by the Selene Board during 1970. The old committee was guilty more of under-management than mismanagement, and it did successfully guide the Project through the politics of its early years. However, it was the leadership and co-ordination of the Selene Board that had finally succeeded in making British and French firms work closely together on a daily basis.

Now, faced with mounting delays and without any prospect of increases in the budget, it was becoming clear that the Project would not be supported for ever; the patience of the public and politicians would eventually run out. Time had to be saved and test flights had to be used more efficiently if the Project was to stand any chance of reaching the Moon in a reasonable time.

Over a three day meeting, opinions slowly converge on a proposal to reduce the number of flights, not only saving valuable booster cores and spacecraft, but also reducing the strain on production and support crews, test engineers and the training schedule. In essence, the plan is to replace a number of "step by step" test flights with a smaller number of more complex integrated tests.

Due to the need for modifications to the design of the ECPS following problems earlier in the year, the next flightworthy stage will not be ready for launch before the spring of 1972. The CLV-1c flight has already validated the basic design of the stage, but two more of these "core only" tests are scheduled, with the first full 3-core Constellation booster flight currently planned for the summer of 1972. If the two "core only" flights were cancelled, stages, pad crews and engineers would be available to advance this launch to carry the second ECPS stage in April or May of 1972.

Delays with the VDL-C (the fully-developed lunar landing version of the VDL) mean that the first flight vehicle will not be ready until mid-late 1972, meaning that the existing flight schedules for Aurora 13, Aurora 14 and Selene 3 will not be met.

The Board's proposals are bold (and not entirely popular).
Three flights are cancelled: Aurora 13, CLV-2c and CLV-3c (aka. Aurora 14).
The time and resources that are saved will relieve the pressure on schedules and allow a single mission to be flown instead. The resulting flight schedule looks to be much more achievable:

Sept 71 - Aurora 10 - 20d flight to test the full endurance of the VDL & PROM. Test deployment of the VDL's landing legs.
Dec 71 - Aurora 11 - Equipment tests, revised space suits and other crew kit. Test of refuelling connection procedures.
Apr 72 - Aurora 12 – Expand on or repeat Aurora 11, plus an optional Earth observation mission.
May 72 - CLV-4 – “All up” test of the 3-core Constellation rocket.
Oct 72 - CLV-5 - Constellation test, unmanned VDL-Cargo to be sent towards the Moon.
Dec 72 - Selene 2 (CLV-6) - Man rate the CLV and VDL-C. Manned lunar orbit observation mission.
Mar 73 - Selene 4 - Unmanned VDL-Cargo test, potentially all the way to a lunar landing.
Jun 73 - Selene 3 - Manned VDL-C test in lunar orbit. Lunar observation and practice setup for the landing manoeuvers.
Sept 73 - Selene 5a - VDL Cargo mission to the lunar surface.
Oct 73 - Selene 5 – First manned lunar landing attempt.

Once there has been sufficient time to inform Selene astronauts of the changes to the flight plans and agree their new assignments, the crews for these upcoming Selene flights are presented to the public in Paris. The Aurora crews were chosen some time ago, but are included as part of an effort to maximise the publicity surrounding the Project.

Aurora 11 will be commanded by the first Australian astronaut, James Lyon, with Frenchman Xavier Tigges as his navigator.

Aurora 12 will attempt to perform a "powered rendezvous"; a shortened simulation of the lunar landing manoeuver while in Earth orbit. The mission will be flown by Cdr Sebastiane Lehart and spacewalk specialist Arnold Hughes.

Attention will then switch to the Moon and Selene 2’s shakedown of the VDL-C. VDL specialist Cdr Guy Larosse and deep space navigation specialist Malcolm Leyton-Arnold will be the first Selene crew to orbit the Moon. They will conduct navigation tests, test the VDL’s systems in lunar orbit and make a series of observations of possible future landing sites.

The unmanned flight of Selene 4 in early 1973 will attempt to land a VDL-Cargo on the Moon (planners swapped the order of Selene 3 and 4 earlier in the year, but left the names unchanged).

The test pilot crew of Aurora 5, James “Jock” Waters and Alain Kiefer, will take Selene 3 into lunar orbit in the summer of 1973. They will practice the complete lunar landing sequence, up to the point of descent engine ignition. They will then take further high quality photographs of the terrain surrounding the approach to the two prime landing sites while they are illuminated by the sun at the right angle.

John Roberts and Xavier Tigges are named as the prime crew of Selene 5, the first manned landing attempt. Larosse and Aldworth will be their backup crew.

Selene 6, intended to be a "scientific mission" (as opposed to the engineering-focussed Selene 5), will be flown by Guy Larosse and geology specialist James Aldworth in early 1974.

Crews for later flights are yet to be decided.

 

[TheInnerMoon]

Wow, Selene 5 feels closer and closer with every update! Weird to think that TTL is (supposedly) just two years away from a Franco-British lunar landing, and it all still feels so plausible! My only hope is that they won't pull a 'post-Apollo' afterwards and fail to capitalise on these technologies.
Also, I think I know how you started writing this. You just asked yourself: how can I get a Brit to be the first man on the moon... Glad to see it though. Unless the Soviets get there first of course, but I'm on team Selene nevertheless. Go Europe!
By the way, have you considered the political implications of such tight cooperation between France and Britain? Surely we'll see an earlier European Union

 

[sts-200]

Wow, Selene 5 feels closer and closer with every update! Weird to think that TTL is (supposedly) just two years away from a Franco-British lunar landing, and it all still feels so plausible! My only hope is that they won't pull a 'post-Apollo' afterwards and fail to capitalise on these technologies.
Also, I think I know how you started writing this. You just asked yourself: how can I get a Brit to be the first man on the moon... Glad to see it though. Unless the Soviets get there first of course, but I'm on team Selene nevertheless. Go Europe!
By the way, have you considered the political implications of such tight cooperation between France and Britain? Surely we'll see an earlier European Union

There will certainly be a few insights into what happens after Selene.
I think getting the UK to join the EEC earlier would be difficult given that it would take a while after De Gaulle left office to overcome the various issues, but there will certainly be a few changes to Europe, and definitely to what will ultimately become ESA.

It didn't quite start that way - my initial thoughts were simply around "what sort of space programme could the UK actually do?" - i.e. give it a push to start with, see Blue Streak enter service and try to avoid some of the mistakes of Europa/ELDO/Black Arrow.
I think that is fairly straightforward - it wouldn't take much for the UK to have ended up with a small but useful programme, with Europe coming on board in the mid/late 60s.

Then I thought I would have fun with it and see how far it could be pushed, without being completely silly about the economics or politics. This is actually the second version of the story, a few years ago I did a less detailed timeline (never published) in which a variant of the LOR mode was used and there wasn't as much of a military missile programme in the UK. As a consequence there was a lot more dedicated hardware needed and it just wouldn't have worked economically.
The TV satellite programme was what made it "work" for me - OK, the military want a big missile and some crazy boffins want to send men into space - but what else could make them want to develop a powerful launch vehicle?
Having something that could bring on the support of the public and a few capable research organisations such as the GPO (and having something that the BBC could self-servingly propagandise at every chance) took it from being fantasy to "well ... I suppose it could happen". The fact that I spent some of my early career working on satellite telemetry systems made it all the more appealing.

 

[atrophy]

You have any plans after british moon landing cause this timeline rocks and should go on as long as possible ?

 

[Archibald]

Then I thought I would have fun with it and see how far it could be pushed

Feel exactly the same with my own space TL. First fun, then see how far can I push things without jumping the shark.

 

[sts-200]

You have any plans after british moon landing cause this timeline rocks and should go on as long as possible ?

Glad you're enjoying it.
The story will end with the Selene Project (plus a few details on what happens afterwards) and the Project has always planned for more than just a one-off landing. How far that goes, well ... that would be telling.

 

[Michel Van]

i'm also enjoying "the Selene Project"

For moment I work with SpaceGeek on 2001: A Space-Time Odyssey
with set fixed number of posts
it's better All good things come to an end

 

[Shevek23]

My hope is that while this particular thread's days are numbered, just as it had a predecessor it may have a successor--there will be a post-Selene Anglo-French, or possibly broader European, space program with new goals and some new equipment.

And Constellation and indeed just Silver Star have great potential as they are, and more as existing plans have already attempted to make them. Constellation is actually only useful for putting really big modules into orbit-like say space station modules, or components of interplanetary manned spacecraft.

If the various projects to recover the Orion engines or even the entire first-stage tankage come to fruit (I know, they are suspended now) the European program would have a complement to the American Shuttle--it recovers the orbital stage, the Europeans recover the launch boost stage. The latter is more massive and more costly so any benefit that comes from reuse ought to favor the Europeans more than the Shuttle benefits Americans. The scales might even fall from Yankee eyes and they eat a little humble pie and pay some licensing fees to design the next generation orbiter around launch with Silver Star derived boosters replacing the solids, thus having a fully reusable two-stage-to-orbit vehicle.

Well, still not fully reusable, if they don't integrate the propellant tank into the return vehicle. Meanwhile the Europeans won't have reusable upper stages unless they develop something new.

But very often, one would not care about recovering value from the upper stage or stages, if the payload is large and the more costly booster stage is recovered and reused. The semi-reusable Constellation could put at least 60 percent of what a Saturn V of OTL could into orbit even if the payload takes a hit from extra mass for resusable lower stages--as much as the biggest American rocket of TTL, and the Americans are abandoning that rocket because it is costly.

I thus hope some sort of post-Selene new European project is in the cards for a successor TL.

But I do appreciate how much work has gone into this one; if you are writing all this stuff new on the fly, a successor should go great. But it occurs to me it may have taken you years to get the material for "Selene" organized and we are seeing the output of a long-accumulated buffer of material; if so working out a post-Selene time line in such detail might require a long interval of years to get it to the same standard.