Let's say the Americans are the first to land on the Moon as in OTL, but the Soviets don't give up their own lunar programme, and around Apollo 13, they successfully refine the N1 rocket to be as safe as the Saturn V.
The first Soviet lunar landing occurs around the time of Apollo 15. Their lunar descent vehicle is much more cramped than the American LM, but they still manage to squeeze in 2 cosmonauts Voskhod-style.
As a sign of peace and co-operation, Apollo 17 is scheduled to be a joint mission with the third Soviet lunar landing, by landing in the same landing spot at the same time.
The Apollo LM and the Soviet Lunniy Korabl land within 50 meters of eachother.
An American-Soviet handshake occurs on the Lunar surface, and as a sign of friendship the American plants the Soviet flag, and the Soviet plants the American flag.
They collect geological samples together, visit eachothers' lunar lander, eat eachothers' space food and talk in eachothers' languages.
When they are ready to depart, both the LM and the LK engine fails to ignite.
Like something out of a movie, they work together and manage to repair the Apollo LM with Soviet spare parts, and the Soyuz LK with American spare parts.
After that, they take off, dock with their respective command modules and return to their respective countries on Earth with no further complications.
What would be the political and scientific consequences if this happened? What would be the future of space exploration?
The first Soviet lunar landing occurs around the time of Apollo 15. Their lunar descent vehicle is much more cramped than the American LM, but they still manage to squeeze in 2 cosmonauts Voskhod-style.
As a sign of peace and co-operation, Apollo 17 is scheduled to be a joint mission with the third Soviet lunar landing, by landing in the same landing spot at the same time.
The Apollo LM and the Soviet Lunniy Korabl land within 50 meters of eachother.
An American-Soviet handshake occurs on the Lunar surface, and as a sign of friendship the American plants the Soviet flag, and the Soviet plants the American flag.
They collect geological samples together, visit eachothers' lunar lander, eat eachothers' space food and talk in eachothers' languages.
When they are ready to depart, both the LM and the LK engine fails to ignite.
Like something out of a movie, they work together and manage to repair the Apollo LM with Soviet spare parts, and the Soyuz LK with American spare parts.
After that, they take off, dock with their respective command modules and return to their respective countries on Earth with no further complications.
What would be the political and scientific consequences if this happened? What would be the future of space exploration?