I know how ludicrous this sounds, so if any moderator feels that this tread should be in ASB section, feel free to move it.
I have for some time tried to come up even a remotely plausible way to make this work. It is for a role-playing campaign world where exploration of nearby planets is started in the late 19th century, leading to colonization of Mars and Venus in by 1920 or so.
In such a wold some of the 19th century scientific theories like aether and habitable planets would be proven true, instead of false like in our time line.
So I am going for some kind of Verne meets Buck Rogers type of thing here, mixed with maximum amount of realism allowed by the insane premise. Problem is that I would not want to change the feel of the period, and many technologies required to make space missions possible would also have significant impact on the other aspects of the era, mainly the warfare. This is something I would like to limit.
In this timeline Babbage's analytical engine is built and becomes widespread among the scientific community, allowing some areas of science advance more rapidly. Also due some early (yet unspecified) discoveries on the field of space technology we see the great powers engage in a space race starting the late 19th century.
Some possible technologies and problems with them:
1) Advanced Rocketry: Most obvious answer is to earlier development of space worthy rockets. This is not as silly as it first sounds, as small rockets had been used in warfare for a centuries. Main problem with this is that it would change face of the period totally, it would allow intercontinental missiles and even jet engine powered aeroplanes. These certainly are not things that I would like to see in this setting, as they would ruin the intended stempunkish feel.
2) Space Cannon: Giant cannon like in Verne's De la terre à la lune. This would not have much impact for the warfare, as such cannon would be immobile, and could not be used to target enemy cities at will. Big problem is that G-forces would actually crush the poor space explorers. I think that this would have been known even in the 19th century.
#) Aether Drive: So now we are firmly in the ASB-land. Electromagnetic device that would allow exertion of force against the luminiferous aether. Even though employing aether based technology would be totally appropriate for the setting, such device would also allow all sorts of odd flying devices, which I would not like to see in this setting. Maybe workings this Aether Drive could be hampered by Earths magnetic field, limiting its use in interplanetary space. This would still leave the main problem though: how to get the damn thing in the orbit first place!
Any thoughts? help would be greatly appreciated.