"We choose to build a space station in this decade ..." - A Nixonian Space Race TL

HendrykPL

richardnixon_2099572b.jpg

We choose to build space station!​
New York Times; 12 April 1961
SOVIETS ORBITS MAN AND RECOVERS HIM; SPACE PIONEER REPORTS: 'I FEEL WELL'; SENT MESSAGES WHILE CIRCLING EARTH

New York Times; 6 May 1961
U.S HURLS MAN 115 MILES INTO SPACE; SHEPARD WORKS CONTROLS IN CAPSULE, RADIO REPORTS IN 15-MINUTE FLIGHT

United States was a losing side in Space Race when Richard Milhous Nixon became president. Soviet Union, agrarian and poor country who recently lost 20% of its population beat U.S. in launching first artifcial satellite of Earth on 4th October 1957 (American Vanguard 1 was sent on 6th December), first animal in orbit (dog named Laika, 3rd November 1957), first lunar spacecraft and man-made object in heliocentric orbit (Luna 1; 2nd January 1959) and first impactor on Moon (Luna 2; 14th September 1959). Space program started by previous president Dwight David Eisenhower was in its infancy. NASA project number one was Mercury - suborbital flight into space while Soviets sent their men and women into orbit! On 12th April 1961 Yuri Gagarin reached space as first human and entered Low Earth Orbit. On 5 May Alan Shepard performed 15-minute flight into space and safely landed on the Earth becoming first American who was sent into space and returned safely. On 19 May 1961 Mariner-2 performed first successful planetary flyby on Venus sending to Earth results from scientific observations.

On 21 September 1961 President of the United States of America Richard Milhous Nixon publicly announced that until the end of decade there will be permanent American bridgehead (or settlement) in space: A Space Station. What the future brings to him and his ideas? It will be revealed in next episode of "A Nixonian Space Race". Don't regulate your receivers, stay with us.
 
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HendrykPL

Episode I: Action and Reaction

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On 1957 OKB-1 team led by Sergei Pavlovych Kaorolev launched the first artificial satellite of Earth. Sputnik 1 sometimes called as Object D was a milestone in human history as it began space exploration. No longer scientist were limited in their Earth based technology as robotic diplomats performed their tasks in space, hundreds or even thousands of kilometers above their heads. First satellite was shining example of science - its scientific equipment discovered several unknown things about Earth upper atmosphere and low space such as radiation belts named after Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, pioneer of the aerospace engineering in Soviet Union. But Sputnik carried another message - that Soviet Union led by ambitious First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov has an ability to launch objects beyond Earth making its dangerous to Western Powers. This caused so called Sputnik Crisis in United States where people feared that launching of 1327 kilograms of metal can be prelude to attack from space. As response President of the United States of America Dwight David Eisenhower, personal friend of the Zhukov created National Aerospace Research Agency (NARA) in order to launch civillian space exploration programs. First American satellite Vanguard was launched on 6th December 1957 making it first American satellite in Earth orbit.

But how about Soviets?

First Secretary Zhukov was convinced by Sergei Korolev to launch satellite on 1955 even before first successsful start of R-7 Semyorka. As military man Zhukov saw advantages for doing this and even saw to Central Committee: I we will be able to send satellite circling around Earth, United States will know that we can strike any place on Earth with our A-bombs. If we assure world that satellite is only for scientific purposes, then we will show our Motherland in truly socialist way. No one in the world will doubt that we can do it, we can protect our allies and we do not strike first even if we have such possibility.
Chief Designer of the OKB-1 Sergei Korolev was given task of sending first artificial Earth satellite on 1955. During next two years every stage of R-7 Semyorka rocket was tested on the ground in order to make this a the most reliable Soviet rocket. Large sums of money flowing into this project and additional engineers from other OKBs guaranteed that this will work and the first human Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Semyorka was launched on 14 August 1957. Second Sputnik was sent along with a dog named Laika on 3rd November in order to perform several tests how space and weightnless affect living organism. Dog lived for more that week until he was killed by poison in his food. Her sacrifice proved that human can survive in space even for long term.
Third Sputnik launched on 3rd December 1957 was built as communication satellite and served as part of Soviet propaganda. It allowed to establish contact between First Secretary Zhukov in Moscow and radio receivers in United States in order to broadcast Zhukov's speech.
... Human beings entered into new age - age of space flights. Just like Alexander Stepanovich Popov invented radio and began age of broad communication and Wright brothers who invented plane and began age of flight Soviet aerospace engineers gave another gift for all Humans - possibility to reach stars, to explore space, to seek out new stars and planets. I want to assure everyone in United States that our space program is scientific by nature and we intend to do not harm to you. Greetings from Moscow, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov.
While Soviets launched three satellites Americans still didn't launched their own. It changed three days later when Vanguard 1 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Cosmodrome and reached orbit. It was truly great success for United States Navy and American society but many people in the world began asking: While Russians launched more that one tonne of metal, why American satellite weighted only one and half kilogram?
 

Archibald

Banned
Cool, a space TL with an unexpected P.O.D. I will follow that closely.

The Zukhov - Ike (WWII) connection is very interesting. It has been mentionned before but I've never seen a full blown TL exploring it. I wonder how Zukhov become USSR leader. A quick Wikipedia check show he died in 1974.

Also interesting to see different early satellites - POD must be circa 1955.
The massive OTL Sputnik 3 flies first and then Vanguard is a success - which make me wonder about von Braun ITTL.
 
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HendrykPL

Hello Archibald. I like your TL Explorers and I appreciate that someone who created wonderful space exploration TL apeeared in this thread. As speaking about Zhukov it will be explained in one of next episodes. But I can say that in this TL Khrushchev's history was different.
 

HendrykPL

Episode II: Vostok

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When Zhukov approved Vostok programme Korolev and other Chief Designers from their OKBs started race for placing human in space against their counterparts in United States. Physicians from Soviet Air Forces argued that first humans in space should be pilots due to their experience and relevant skills in exposure to higher g-forces and use of ejection seats. Four months later in April Americans decided to do similar choice in their Mercury programme. The candidates had to be intelligent, physically fit and comfortable in high-stress situation. In addition in Soviet Union they had to be born in true socialist families and some of them had to be a women in order to show feminism in socialist countries to the reactionary countries.

Chief Designer Sergei Korolev decided that cosmonauts must be between 25 and 30 years old, no taller than 1.75 meters and weigh no more that 72 kilograms. He tried to persuade Zhukov tha cosmonauts in first flights of the humanity should be male but First Secretary decided otherwise - women were usually shorter and lighter and Soviet Union should encourage other countries to embrance true feminism no matter of cost. The final specifications for cosmonauts were approved in June 1959 and on September interviews with candidates began. By the end of 1959 15 from 200 men and women were selected and sent to training.

At the Gromov Flight Research Institute a spacecraft simulator had been built and was called as TDK-1. In this simulator various tests were performed in order to emerge six cosmonauts who will fly during first manned space program. After few months of test Yuri Gagarin, Gherman Titov, Valentina Tereshkova (the first woman and civilian in space), Tatyana Kuznetsova, Irina Solovyova and Zhanna Yorkina were chosento participate in the first Soviet manned space program.

Pilots chosen to flight into space (with missions they flown until 1970):
Yuri Gagarin - Vostok 1, Voskhod 2, Soyuz 4
Gherman Titov - Vostok 2, Voskhod 2, Soyuz 5
Valentina Tereshkova - Vostok 3
Tatyana Kuznetsova- Vostok 4, Soyuz 1, Soyuz 4
Irina Solovyova - Vostok 5, Soyuz 5
Zhanna Yorkina - Vostok 6, Soyuz 4
Valentina Ponomaryova - Voskhod 1, Soyuz 5
Aleksei Leonov - Voskhod 1, Soyuz 3
Pavel Popovich - Soyuz 1, Soyuz 6
Viktor Gorbatko - Soyuz 1, Soyuz 6
Boris Volynov - Soyuz 2, Soyuz 6
Vladimir Komarov - Soyuz 2
Anatoli Kartashov - Soyuz 2
Valentin Filatyev - Soyuz 3
Valentin Bondarenko - Soyuz 3

On July 1960 six first cosmonauts were relocated to Star City. By January 1961 all of them finished parachute, recovering and three-day regimes in simulators. On 17 January they participated in final exams including time spent in simulator and written tests. Based on results a commission supervised by Kamanin established cosmonauts and flight in final order.

First flight of the Vostok program occured on 1 May 1960 when Korabl-Sputnik 1 was sent to Earth orbit. Due to malfunction with spacecraft systems retrorockets did not fired and ship remained in orbit for next two weeks before decay from orbit and was burned in atmosphere.

Next flight Vostok 1K equipped in life-support facilities was sent into Earth orbit on 28 July 28 1960 and carried two space dogs - Chaika and Lisichka. Mission was partially successful - while dogs achieved orbit and survived for few hours, during landing capsule was destroyed due to systems failure.

First space dogs which were sent to orbit and survived landing were Belka and Strelka which were launched on 19 August 1960. After 26 hours spent in orbit dogs were recovered in Kazakhstan and physiological tests revealed that they are in good health.

Four next launches were performed (1 December 1960, 22 December 1960, 9 March 1961 and 25 March 1961) - two ended with success, one with partial failure and one ended with failure. Vostok spacecraft waited for brave men and women to conquer space!

First manned flight of the Vostok spacecraft occurred on 12 April 1961 when Yuri Gagarin spent one hour in space (one orbit) and successfuly returned to Earth after his short journey. Gagarin's flight was announced in the Soviet radio by Yuri Levitan who worked for Radio Moscow where he described all major international events during 1940s-1960s. The flight was celebrated as a great triumph for Soviet science and technology over capitalist countries - Moscow and many other cities in Eastern Bloc held mass demonstrations in order to show support for cosmonauts in space. Gagarin was awarded with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the nation's highest award. April 12 was declared as Day of Cosmonauts.

In United States New York Times and other newspapers described Vostok 1 flight day after flight congratulating Soviet Union in placing man in orbit while said that this can have great impact on Cold War and strenght of Soviet rocket arsenal.
 

fasquardon

Hmm. So. Zhukov is Gen. Sec. and the early Soviet Space program is doing far better than its OTL counterpart...

I'm surprised Nixon didn't define how big the space station would be, just to make sure the Soviets couldn't quickly beat him by launching a mini-space station.

fasquardon
 

SeanPdineen

What if space is linked with the transport rockets the so called sst that were thought in the 60's to replace planes in 20 years? Conrad Hilton might get his hotel on the moon then!
 

Bahamut-255

Interesting POD here, but like fasquardon I do wonder what is meant by Space Station.

A small(ish) station that can be used for a short time - thus being more of a workshop/laboratory - I'm sure will see the Soviets stay ahead for quite some time.

But I suppose that's where the kicker is, the definition of Space Station. A larger one that can be manned continually if desired and the greater industrial might of the US will give them a serious chance of coming out on top.
 

Deleted member 82792

Just out of curiosity but does Watergate still happen?
 
Michel Van

Michel Van

Subscribe!

interesting the difference POTUS Nixon and Zhukov is Gen. Sec. i wonder since wen is he leader of USSR ?

on Space Race to Space Station
I guess the USA and USSR will so testing temporal station before launching real thing.
could be analog to MOL or MORL for USA and Soyuz R variation for Soviets

But in end 1960s USA will launch a big space station
 

HendrykPL

I am sorry for not responding but I was busy in school (last year of High Technical School of Electronics, a lot of material to learn so I will have limited presence on AH forum).

There will be some of crisis involving Nixon. We will see other space race than OTL and stronger Soviet economy (I assume that politically unexperienced Zhukov would be more likely to hear reformers like Kosygin than Khrushchev did) and agriculture. In addition women rights' movement would be viewed different in Western countries due to new politics in Soviet Union. But this will be described in next chapter. Have patience readers, Nixonian Space Race is coming! :)
 

The_Shortline_Gamer_KSP

And, Subscribed!

So Zhukov becomes the leader of the USSR when Stalin dies in 1953, and Nixon wins the 1960 election. Due to Zhukov's interests in space travel object D is able to launch in 1957. Nixon OTL was more interested in space stations, and this is also the case for Alternate-Nixon presidency in 1961.

I can't wait to see how this timeline turns out, and see what I can learn from it.(I am writing my own space timeline with a friend)
 
Emperor Norton I

Emperor Norton I

Has any consideration been given to integration in NASA? Kennedy tried with Ed Dwight, but he fell by the wayside with the assassination. Johnson tried with Robert H. Lawrence Jr., who was attached to the (to be cancelled) MOL project. However, he died in a plane crash. I do not know what Nixon would do.
 

Dathi THorfinnsson

Von Braun cartwheel stations are totally impractical until you can get the cost of lift WAY down. I really, really doubt we'll see them in this TL. (Well, OK, it may be the perpetual overreach of NASA iTTL, like Mars missions are iOTL).
 
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