For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond…..” - John F. Kennedy, Rice University Speech, 1962

So, considering that the original project lacked support before it even got off the ground, I am going to try again.......and this time I hope I can finish. Welcome to the world of To The Planets Beyond!

Chapter 1: Beginnings (Part I)

"Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine by Norbert Wiener was considered by many to be the inventor of modern computer science, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, servomechanisms and reliable communications. This was especially true not only in the West, but in the Soviet Union as well. When the book was first published back in 1948, Stalin had the opportunity to read the First Edition, although in the months that followed, various factions emerged and when TIME Magazine published its cover story on the Harvard Mark III computer in January 23rd, 1950, Boris Agapov, whom later published a work condemning the scientific field, was removed from his post and replaced by a pro-cybernetics science editor: Petia Nikolaev. Of course, Agapov's article would be removed, and Stalin would use the Literarturnaya Gazeta as a tool to help expand Soviet technological innovations. Had Agapov not been removed, the USSR would have had stagnated, and this decision by Stalin is considered by many historians to be one of the few good things the USSR would have under his rule." - Cybernetics in the USSR; Chapter 2: Early History

"To many historians, President Kennedy's "We Choose to go the Moon" Speech is considered one of the most ironic speeches in human history. However, it also considered to be the speech that ushered in humanity's expansion into the Solar System. After Kennedy had given his speech, it became the front-page news of the American media at the time. The USSR, shortly after this speech became concerned of losing its technological advantage to the Americans, and as a result: Khrushchev turned to the OKB-1 Design Bureau of the Soviet Space Program, and Sergei Korolev, already working on what would become the N1 rocket. This was a rocket that would be the most powerful rocket ever built, with a 75 tonne payload capability and over 24 NK-15 engines (which were unreliable at the time), and 33,927.50 kN of thrust. Khrushchev allowed Korolev to provide time to develop the 75 tonne version of the N1, which was originally designed to be a sort of super-ICBM, now turned into the launch vehicle that would send the Soviet Union to the Moon....." - Kennedy's Legacy in the Modern World, Chapter 4: Space Exploration

Now, I know, same start as last time, but mainly because I am trying to get it finished this time around. Either way, hope you enjoy the rest. :p
 
Well, time to start the next part of Chapter I.

Chapter 1: Beginnings (Part II)

Ever since man first left the planet with the launch of Sputnik 1, the Space Race has influenced the course of human history. From Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human into space to the expansion of humanity beyond Earth at the start of this century, the Space Race changed the course of history and our knowledge of the Universe. Shortly after Sputnik 1, we sent the first mammals into space. We sent the first human into space a few years later, and the world changed forever.

Of course, behind the scenes, there are always those that plan out mission profiles, design the vehicles to get up there and more importantly, make the concepts become reality. The two most famous of their time were Chief Designer Sergei Korolev and Dr. Wernher Von Braun. Sergei Korolev with his N1 rocket and Dr. Von Braun with his Saturn V rocket, both with the intention to reach the Moon. Von Braun began his design first back in 1958 when NASA first began as an organisation. Korolev had his time much more strained in comparison, but also the more powerful rocket in terms of thrust.

With the race to the Moon on, the various methods to reach the Moon emerged from the American Apollo program to the Soyuz program of the USSR, with the latter's respective versions being already in place. What most people think of today when they hear of the Soyuz program is the variant known as the Soyuz 7K-LOK, which of course, was not the first Soyuz spacecraft to leave the Earth's atmosphere. It was the Soyuz 7K-OK that became the first Soyuz variant to leave Earth's atmosphere, and become a successful mission. Of course, months prior to this, Alexei Leonov already made the first of his life's achievements: become the first man to conduct an EVA operation in LEO. This, combined with the successful test of the Soyuz 7K-OK in the Soyuz 1 mission, using a Soyuz rocket to lift it into LEO, set the stage for things to come. The subsequent Soyuz missions conducted a manned orbital docking procedure successfully, although by then, the Gemini 8 mission already beat the USSR to that.

NASA's Apollo program meanwhile suffered a setback. The Apollo 1 mission launched, but a problem with the second stage (which caused the spacecraft lose roll control 4 minutes into the flight) forced the astronauts to eject. They all came back in one piece, but the event was an embarrassment to NASA, who delayed the Apollo 2 and 3 missions for a while to check the problems with the second stage, and 4 through 6 are made unmanned and also delayed.

The year prior, though, Chief Designer Sergei Korolev had passed away due to health issues. However, between Vasily Mishin and Valentin Glushko to take over, one had to be selected. It was then decided to integrate the multiple Design Bureaus into a single bureau, which became N.P.O. Energia, now led by Valentin Glushko. Although he was not comfortable with the use of Korolev's N1 rocket, he knew that the risks of losing the Moon Race were too high to be permitted, so he made the choice to check the NK-15 engines for reliability. As a result, these engines were upgraded and made reliable enough to send a few N1 missions beyond Earth. In the meantime, though, Soyuz missions 4 through 5 began conducting tests of the LK Lander in LEO, and by the next year, testing of the Block G and Block D stages for a Lunar orbit would be in place...... [1]

[1] To clarify, the NK-15 ATL Upgrades are basically making the engines reliable on the level of the OTL NK-33 engines. So, yes. :p

Stay tuned for Chapter 2, and get your spacesuits on for a time you are not going to forget!

I know, said this before, but I will say it again. Now to continue from where I left off.......
 
Chapter 2: ...For all of Humanity

"As the Americans and the Soviets competed in the Race to the Moon, the testing of the N1 rockets upgraded NK-15 engines on part of Glushko, the Apollo 1 mission failure, coupled with testing of the Block G and Block D stages, were factors that eventually led to America's loss of the Moon Race, and the extension of the Space Race to the Red Planet as a result. In spite of this, that is not what this thesis' chapter is about, and will be discussed in the next chapter. This chapter is meant to focus on the manned Moon missions of the two superpowers. So to speak, that means looking at Apollo 8, and Soyuz 10, before digging up into the actual landings. To start this off, the Soviet Union had been testing its Lunar equipment for use on the surface, while the Americans were just starting to catch up with Apollo 7 just managing to succeed with testing the Apollo CSM in LEO. With this in mind, both sides had every intention to beat the other, each hoping to outpace their opponent. The Soviets in the end had reached Lunar orbit with Soyuz 10 and its L1 Moon Expeditionary Complex, while Apollo 8 followed a week later. Soyuz 10 also saw the first flight of the N1 rocket, as the L1 complex itself, with the Block G and Block D stages was assembled while the second N1 launched the Soyuz 7K-LOK, effectively proving the Soviets had the capability to challenge the American Saturn V. History would later prove to be on their favour for the Moon........" Road to The Moon; Chapter 6: They are Ready

"'As a citizen of the Earth, I come in peace for all of humanity.' Those were the first words a human being ever uttered on the Moon. Those were uttered by Alexei Leonov on the Soyuz 14 the instant he stepped off the LK lander and into the Lunar surface. Those words now sound like something out of a history book, but those were the very words that sent humanity elsewhere into the Solar System. While the Soviet victory in the Moon Race embarrassed the United States, it did give them a reason to head to Mars, where previous proposals were dropped, not because of costs or economics, but because of a lack of motivation. With Leonov on the Moon, President Nixon now had a/an excuse/reason to out-Space (pun intended) the Soviets in the world of Red......." The Case for the Red Sands; Chapter 1: Beginnings

"Skylab 1, though born out of the Soviet victory in the Moon Race, became a precursor to later missions into the Solar System and other space stations as the first ever semi-permanent human outpost in space. It was designed as a wet-lab type of space station, unlike the later Skylab 2, which was more of a dry-lab type station, meant to test human duration periods in microgravity and conduct other basic experiments, that would later assist future astronauts on prolonged missions elsewhere into the Solar System. With this in mind, the Soviet Union had their own plans in mind for space stations in LEO: the Salyut 1 and behind the scenes: the Salyut 2, a part of the Almaz program. The Americans had their stations in preparation for manned Mars missions and the Soviets, meanwhile, had a more militaristic view on the matter. However, they were not the only ones......" Homes in the Sky: A History of Space Stations and Planetary Outposts; Chapter 1: The First Space Stations

"While the space stations in orbit were being assembled, the Moon had its own versions: semi-permanent mini-outposts, which started with NASA's Apollo Applications Program. It all began with the Apollo 19 mission and prior missions sent to assemble the Lunar Exploration System for Apollo or the LESA base for short. It began assembly prior to Apollo 19 with the initial Apollo Extension Series or AES Lunar Base section being set into place. The Apollo 19, though, was able to deliver the AES base's astronauts, who were to remain for two weeks on the Lunar surface. However, as the days passed, and the Apollo Logistics Support System began to bet set in place, the LESA base remained unfinished, while the Soviets developed their own version. Soyuz 28 became the last manned mission to the Moon for the time being, with neither the Americans nor the Soviets being able to finish their moon bases completely. These would later be precursors to the Lunar outposts of the next century, and serve as examples on how to conduct long-duration missions, now left to space stations in LEO......." The Road for all Mankind; Chapter 3: A Brief History The Apollo Applications Program and the Soyuz Lunar Development Program

And finally, Chapter 2 is out. The time has come to finally detail the story of the Race to the Red Planet. Stay tuned for Chapter 3!

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@Archibald.......who said anything about dystopia or utopia? And I never expected it to be easy so.......... :p
 
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