OTL, the Soviets captured most of the rocket production facilities in Germany, but Wernher bon Braun, with his crew and documents, surrendered to the US. Let's say for one reason or another that he surrenders instead to the Soviet Union. How might this affect space exploration? Will the US ever catch up to the USSR?
WI: Wernher von Braun surrenders to Soviets
- Thread starter Harald Sigurdson II
- Start date
The Soviets start out with a slightly greater lead, if they make use of him and his staff and if he doesn't commit suicide. But...
Yes. Even OTL the U.S. spent little time truly behind the Soviets. Much of the early Soviet advantage came from having invested heavily in rockets for many years while the U.S. pulled ahead in almost everything else. By 1960 OTL the U.S. had thrown enough resources at the project to completely surpass the Soviets in weapons (100 ICBMS vs 4). Ultimately the U.S. still has rocket scientists and they still have far more money to catch up to and pass the Soviet project.
TFSmith121
Banned
GALCIT-ORDCIT-Hiroc-RAND-Western Missile Division, etc.
GALCIT-ORDCIT-Hiroc-RAND-Western Missile Division, etc.
Schriever, Medaris, Raborn, Von Karman, Malina, Tsien, Parsons, Goddard (early on, at least), Truax, Bossart, and a cast of thousands.
Basically, the US does what it always does (and did, historically) which is throw money at a systems engineering problem and solve it.
As in:
Thor (Delta) - Atlas - Titan etc.
EXCELSIOR is followed by RAND which is followed by CORONA which is followed by MISS which is followed by MOL which is supersized and followed by some version of LUNEX which is followed by ARES vis NERVA thanks to ARPA, and that's all she wrote...
The US will probably stick with winged vehicles a little longer than historically, but the simplicity of ballistic re-entry will win out.
Best,
GALCIT-ORDCIT-Hiroc-RAND-Western Missile Division, etc.
Schriever, Medaris, Raborn, Von Karman, Malina, Tsien, Parsons, Goddard (early on, at least), Truax, Bossart, and a cast of thousands.
Basically, the US does what it always does (and did, historically) which is throw money at a systems engineering problem and solve it.
As in:
Thor (Delta) - Atlas - Titan etc.
EXCELSIOR is followed by RAND which is followed by CORONA which is followed by MISS which is followed by MOL which is supersized and followed by some version of LUNEX which is followed by ARES vis NERVA thanks to ARPA, and that's all she wrote...
The US will probably stick with winged vehicles a little longer than historically, but the simplicity of ballistic re-entry will win out.
Best,
US theory on sphere/cone aeroshell RVs dates to 1954 or so, from General Electric's work for Atlas.
IMO, no VB won't effect this desire to go capsule, as winged would take more time, something NASA felt short of until Gemini
TFSmith121
Banned
Sure, but my guess is that without ABMA,
Sure, but my guess is that without ABMA, there will be at least two tracks, one leading to a ballistic re-entry vehicle and one pushing an X-20ish vehicle farther along than historically.
If "space" is largely USAF in the US, as opposed to NACA+ABMA, I can see more of an emphasis on hypersonic aerodynamic re-entry, but it won't last forever.
Best,
Sure, but my guess is that without ABMA, there will be at least two tracks, one leading to a ballistic re-entry vehicle and one pushing an X-20ish vehicle farther along than historically.
If "space" is largely USAF in the US, as opposed to NACA+ABMA, I can see more of an emphasis on hypersonic aerodynamic re-entry, but it won't last forever.
Best,
He doesn't, the documents will be burned and he will likely commit suicide. There's a reason (probably quite a number actually) he didn't want to surrender to the Soviets.
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if Wernher von Braun falls into the hand of the Soviets
only his basic knowledge of rocket technology save him for getting shot because he is SS-Officer for the soviets.
yes Von Braun was member of SS, during mass production of A4 rocket in Mittelwerk at end of war.
and he had his problems with US authority to get "de-nazifed" under operation Paperclip
something soviet not to give a f***
Von Braun would have put under surveillance, they recover even his bureau piece by piece and rebuild it in USSR
(this really happens to a engineer on german assault rifle, as he was transfer to USSR)
Von Braun will forced to teach to Soviet engineer how, the A4 is to build and what Material are needed.
oh he will get order to create new rocket design who remain paperwork, only to be study by new Soviet rocket engineer , like Korolev and Glusko
after some years Von Braun usefulness for Soviet exhausted, as Korolev and Glusko surpass there teacher
Stalin will order the execution of Wernher von Braun:
-His knowledge of rocket technology may not fall in hands of germans or Americans
-His membership in SS
-Von Brauns role in Mittlewerk factory, one of darkest moment of human history, were tens thousands soviet POW died during it construction and Production phase.
so consider by soviet as war criminal.
the soviet would gain faster the A4 technology under there hands as OTL
because Helmut Gröttrup was not the guy the Soviet needed as electrical engineer., Gröttrup was responsible for the radio guidance system of A4
allot of Soviet work on A4 made by Korolev and Glusko, was reversed engineering on A4 found by red Army.
only his basic knowledge of rocket technology save him for getting shot because he is SS-Officer for the soviets.
yes Von Braun was member of SS, during mass production of A4 rocket in Mittelwerk at end of war.
and he had his problems with US authority to get "de-nazifed" under operation Paperclip
something soviet not to give a f***
Von Braun would have put under surveillance, they recover even his bureau piece by piece and rebuild it in USSR
(this really happens to a engineer on german assault rifle, as he was transfer to USSR)
Von Braun will forced to teach to Soviet engineer how, the A4 is to build and what Material are needed.
oh he will get order to create new rocket design who remain paperwork, only to be study by new Soviet rocket engineer , like Korolev and Glusko
after some years Von Braun usefulness for Soviet exhausted, as Korolev and Glusko surpass there teacher
Stalin will order the execution of Wernher von Braun:
-His knowledge of rocket technology may not fall in hands of germans or Americans
-His membership in SS
-Von Brauns role in Mittlewerk factory, one of darkest moment of human history, were tens thousands soviet POW died during it construction and Production phase.
so consider by soviet as war criminal.
the soviet would gain faster the A4 technology under there hands as OTL
because Helmut Gröttrup was not the guy the Soviet needed as electrical engineer., Gröttrup was responsible for the radio guidance system of A4
allot of Soviet work on A4 made by Korolev and Glusko, was reversed engineering on A4 found by red Army.
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