Imagine the Second Moon Race

[Frogbull]

The First Moon Race was a race between USA and USSR.

In 1969, the Americans win that race (while the Soviets look their N1 explode).

But since 40 years (with the Apollo 17 mission ended in 1972 and the N1 program suspended in 1974), nobody really tried to return to the Moon.

Now, imagine for a moment that a new race to the Moon begins...

You got it ? Ok, write your stories here !

[Frogbull]

A Chinese on the Moon

Chapter 1 : The First Launch

We are in november 2023, the giant Long March 5 (model CZ-5-504) is on the launch pad. On the top of it, under his cap, the Yang Liwei Lunar Module (a LEM). CCTV is more watched than usual even in Western Countries.

The countdown started and we hear the chief operator on the TV :

- "shí, jiÇâ€, bÄÂ, qÄ«, liù, wÇâ€, sì, sÄÂn, èr, yÄ«..."

A loud noise is heard, TV camera shaking on the screen and the Long March 5 take off gently but is rapidly gaining speed.

Some minutes later, the 4 huge rocket boosters are detached; the first stage continues on its road. But we can't see more to the TV screen, it's too far.

A lot of applause are heard, on the TV screen, a 3D simulation is shown.

Shortly after the separation of the first stage, the second stage starts but shuts off quickly... An accident ?

After a few seconds of doubt, the TV presenter announced that the cutoff was in the program. The second stage will be restarted later to complete the orbit.

Chapter 2 : The Second Launch

We are in january 2024, {...}

It will be about the Launch of the "Command Service Module" with an another Long March 5 and the docking of the CSM with the LEM

Chapter 3 : The Crew takes place

We are in february 2024, {...}

It will be about the Launch of the Crew with an Long March 2F and the docking of the final Lunar Train

Chapter 4 : On the Moon

3 days after, {...}

About the Moon landing

Chapter 5 : Welcome back

The crew took place in the Yang Liwei Lunar Module, {...}

About the back on Earth

[Cesrate]

As far as I know China plans to set up a little base in 2030.

Not sure who will be the competitor, maybe NASA, Russian, others or some private industries.

Edit: Alright, China "is likely planning" to set up a little base in 2030. And it may just be the springboard to Mars. Everything is not sure. And I forgot Europe,sorry.

Edit: So... US has the same goal to Mars, does it? Interesting...

Edited December 4, 2013 by Cesrate

[Kryten]

China has no plans to land anything on the Moon after Chang'e 6. Any talk about crewed landing is by individual companies or engineers, with no government backing.

[NASAFanboy]

China has no plans to land on the moon. All it did was an unofficial study, that was later rejected for a spacestation by 2020. I won't be suprised if they established a base by 2035, though.

[Frogbull]

The goal of this Topic is to imagine.

A new American Moon Program, a surprising Russian collaboration with India or China.

An international program for a Lunar Base (USA and China together).

And more...

[OrtwinS]

2020

ESA-Roscomos-JAXA-CNSA announce they will start a joint moon base project, construction starts 2030, planned completion in ~2035.

International cooperation, world peace mumbo-jumbo, the usual everyone pays, everyone profits.

NASA is kept out of the deal by grumpy unimaginative and scared old men in the US senate and house of representatives.

Not even president Biden is able to sway the house. (tbh, it seems he's not really trying, since US politics is still locked up no coherent policy can be executed)

2021-2030

The high-tech industry continues its retreat out of the USA (that started when ancient copywrong and IP laws crippled innovation) towards China, Japan and Europe because that's where the party is.

US economy and morale is taking a beating, the increasing outrage forces the USA to accept the challenge (or actually, voice the challenge themselves, like they did the last time).

2035

Thanks to the still active (though not flourishing) US private space industry the US was able to catch up on the coalition who finally have reached a consensus on what launch vehicles to use. (they got delayed by a 5-year long discussion on what to use, who gets to build what, who get to fly what, etc.).

Both parties have launched their exploration Moon-orbiters with specialized equipment to search for suitable locations.

To be continued?

Edited December 8, 2013 by OrtwinS

[Rocketman1994]

While governments around the country race each other to the moon, SpaceX beats everyone and is the first private company to land on an non earth surface..Mars.

[jwenting]

2015, a communist coup in Russia reestablishes the USSR.

2016, in a bid to establish the scientific and military hegemony of the USSR, Moscow orders an immediate manned moon program, to beat the estimated Chinese capability of landing a man on the moon by 2025, sets a target of 2022.

2017, China diverts all resources from its unfinished space station towards a crash program to land a man on the moon by 2020, even if it is a one way mission.

2018, Soviet Soyuz capsule, with a 2 man crew to save weight and air, circles the moon and returns to earth. China accomplishes the same thing a few weeks later.

2021, later than intended but still beating the Soviets, the Chinese land a man on the moon. It indeed is a one way trip, he does not have the fuel to return to earth and is euthanised by lethal injection commanded from earth after 2 weeks.

2022, Soviets and Chinese, days apart, land manned missions on the moon, equipped with rovers and capable of returning to earth. A firefight breaks out as the crews meet, having landed but a few hundred meters apart. Both sides use their space based systems to take out each others' satellite communications and navigation networks, nuclear war threatens.

I'll leave the end game to the reader.

[NASAFanboy]

The Moon Race will likely come like this.

2014- Orion Flight Test.

2015- CNSA lunar sample return. US lands plants on moon. Chinese launch Tiangong-1

2016- Juno arrives at Jupiter. China announces a BEO version of the Shengzhou, and make technology purchases from Roskosmos. US astronauts launch from US soil once again.

2017- SLS flight test. Golden Spike partners with NASA, builds prototype lunar lander.

2018- China launches second sample return, begins to launch landed probes to Mars.

2019- Golden Spike lander tested in space. New President announces that he will "consider" return to moon, and encourages Golden Spike to move forward, and begins to increase the NASA budget. He lets the ARM launch.

2020- China finishes their orbital space station. JAXA lands first lunar probe.

2021- ARM mission. NASA begins to explore options for.further exploration. Mars mission componenets are constructed.

2022- Golden Spike land on the Moon during a lander test. Bigelow builds a small station.

2023- CNSA lands on the lunar surface, and NASA follows. JAXA begins to build robotic base on the Moon. Bigelow assists NASA in constructing a lunar base (And helped by the NASA Morpheus Cargo landers), to be completed soon. Roskosmos starts to build second space station, sends crew to Lagrange point.

2024- NASA finishes EML-2 gateway outpost, finishes Bigelow lunar base. The Chinese finish theirs, and Roskosmos lands.on the Moon. ESA hitchhikes on the Golden Spike landers and the Roskosmos ships.

2025- Roskomos finishes the spacestation. ISS is starting to face failures from age. SpaceX lands Red Dragon mission on Mars.

2026- Roskosmos and CNSA redo Phobos-Grunt, successful mission.

2027- SpaceX signs agreement with CNSA. Anti-NASA-CNSA Cooperation barriers are upheld despite legal challenges, though support is slipping

2028- NASA prepares to go to Mars, while CNSA assists Roskomos and expands their lunar infrastructure.

2029- NASA finishes SLS block II, the launcher for Mars missions.

2030- NASA sends crew to orbit Mars and return. China sends Mars sample return.

2031- NASA tests its manned Mars lander. CNSA sends crew on Mars flyby.

2032- NASA lands habitat on Mars, begins to build MTV. China sends crew to flyby Venus. Roskosmos does the same. JAXA lands men on Moon.

2033- NASA sends crew to land on Mars. CNSA sends crew to orbit, while ESA sends fleet of probes to Venus.

2034- Roskosmos lands men on Phobos, NASA lands on Deimenos and builds a small international reserach outpost with ESA and Roskosmos. Chiniese Exclusion act challneged, overturned. CNSA lands.men on Mars. Iran sends man to space.

2035- Second NASA crew on Mars.

Just giving what I think is.most plausible.

Edited December 10, 2013 by NASAFanboy

[Dominatus]

Very nice, just one thing... Orion flight test? Is this the hypothetical Orion? As in old boom boom? As in "You know what would be a good idea? Irradiating the entire planet."? Or is this some other Orion project I haven't heard about?

[Karriz]

Very nice, just one thing... Orion flight test? Is this the hypothetical Orion? As in old boom boom? As in "You know what would be a good idea? Irradiating the entire planet."? Or is this some other Orion project I haven't heard about?

This one, NASA's next manned spacecraft: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_(spacecraft)

Currently the first (unmanned) orbital flight test is planned for fall 2014.

[Bacterius]

Very nice, just one thing... Orion flight test? Is this the hypothetical Orion? As in old boom boom? As in "You know what would be a good idea? Irradiating the entire planet."? Or is this some other Orion project I haven't heard about?

It was my understanding the nukes didn't start until leaving the Earth's orbit, so there would be no irradiation going on. It's not like it would've been used straight from the launchpad.

[Kryten]

There are a few concepts that use conventional boosters initially, but in most concepts they are, simply because the ship is too huge for anything else to work.

[The Jedi Master]

What people are forgetting about China is the power of nationalism. So far, the US (which China is not the biggest fan of) has been the only nation to the moon. I'm sure China wants a piece of the pie.

[Frogbull]

What people are forgetting about China is the power of nationalism. So far, the US (which China is not the biggest fan of) has been the only nation to the moon. I'm sure China wants a piece of the pie.

They have successfully land their Chang'e 3 and Yutu (the lunar rover) do his job.

I hope China and Russia will work together; if they do, in less than 10 years, humans will walk again on the lunar soil.

[Nibb31]

There are a few concepts that use conventional boosters initially, but in most concepts they are, simply because the ship is too huge for anything else to work.

That's just because it was designed in 1950's when nobody thought about orbital rendez-vous and orbital assembly. It was an era when cars, planes, nukes, buildings, bridges, just seemed to get bigger and more powerful every year. Nothing could stop progress. Nobody thought that there would be a practical or economical limit to the size of rocket launchers.

This was a time when very serious engineers thought that it would be a good idea to dig artificial lakes or strip mines with nukes. It was a time when US Army generals proposed blowing up the Moon with nukes just as show of power to the commies. It was also a time when experts thought that a woman's place was in the kitchen, that blacks should have the back seat on the bus, that smoking was healthy, or that jello could be served in a salad.

It was a totally crazy period, with crazy ideas everywhere. Bringing back Orion as a space propulsion system would be just as idiotic as bringing back the Ford Nucleon or mind control weapons. It was just another of those wacky ideas from the 1950's that we laugh about today.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Nibb31

[jwenting]

what's wrong with Jell-O salad? Or kitchens for that matter? And I prefer the back of the bus most of the time. Especially in winter it's warmer and less drafty than the front

Blowing up the moon was never going to happen, but making a bit bang there might have given a nice light show.