As is well known by now, Project A119 was a US plan to detonate a hydrogen bomb on the moon. This was planned both due to the Soviet successes in the space program and for scientific purposes. It was motivated in particular by an anonymous source telling the USA it was being planned to celebrate the October Revolution. Eventually, the plan was scrapped because negative public feedback was presumed.
But suppose the following sequence of events happened:
1. In 1951, Stalin is convinced of the idea of a nuke detonation on the moon by a subordinate. He orders the job be ready by 1957, for the 40th anniversary of the USSR.
2. The planning document leaks to the USA, along details of the scale of the preparations. SAC enters panic mode and begins planning a rival detonation.
3. After his ascension, Kruschev cancels the detonation and orders the OTL Sputnik progran. This plan is also leaked to the CIA, but the Dulles brothers believe it to be a decoy story to put the US on the wrong trail.
4. On July 4th, 1957, at 730 pm EST, Americans watching 4th of July fireworks are treated to a small bright flash on the moon. The president addresses the nation that night, proclaiming that acting on credible intelligence that the Soviets were planning a Lunar nuclear detonation, the USA had acted first.
5. 3 months later, the USSR launches the Sputnik satellite and proclaims its peaceful intentions while condemning US aggression.
What are the results of this?
But suppose the following sequence of events happened:
1. In 1951, Stalin is convinced of the idea of a nuke detonation on the moon by a subordinate. He orders the job be ready by 1957, for the 40th anniversary of the USSR.
2. The planning document leaks to the USA, along details of the scale of the preparations. SAC enters panic mode and begins planning a rival detonation.
3. After his ascension, Kruschev cancels the detonation and orders the OTL Sputnik progran. This plan is also leaked to the CIA, but the Dulles brothers believe it to be a decoy story to put the US on the wrong trail.
4. On July 4th, 1957, at 730 pm EST, Americans watching 4th of July fireworks are treated to a small bright flash on the moon. The president addresses the nation that night, proclaiming that acting on credible intelligence that the Soviets were planning a Lunar nuclear detonation, the USA had acted first.
5. 3 months later, the USSR launches the Sputnik satellite and proclaims its peaceful intentions while condemning US aggression.
What are the results of this?