[FPSPACE] Mars before the space age?

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi - 

I would take exception to the argument made by Barrie Jones. 

In point of fact, at the beginning of the US-Soviet "space race" ( let's say here 1956-1957) Mars was thought to be Earth-like. In point of fact the N-1 was originally designed to launch the TMK core and various interplanetary boosters for it, and the N-1 was only cut over to a single shot lunar launcher like Saturn-Apollo late in 1964. (What a difference it would have made had the Soviet leadership had self-confidence and not been so insecure. But that'a an "alternative history", not what happened.) 

There were also "Empire" class missions for manned Mars flight that NASA examined, until 1964.

Further, all the early rocket developers of the 1920's deeply believed on a very personal level that Mars was Earth-like.

All of that came to an end in 1964 with the Mariner 4 images, and national goals changed rather rapidly thereafter. 

Mariner 9 did nothing to change the realization that Mars is simply not Earth-like. The final nail was when Viking 1 sent back its images of Mars' stark surface.

Many of you, and I would go so far as to say that most of you, simply do not understand that the paradigm has changed: its the craters. 

In my opinion, whoever leads the planetary defense effort will lead in space, but in any case that effort will be cooperative. 

Can we please just stop Ares 1 now and get on with Direct/Jupiter and CAPS?

E.P. Grondine
Man and Impact in the Americas, and 
A History of Cosmonautics, vol 1-4 

(fpspacers can write me for free copies of the first four volumes of my "History of Cosmonautics, and special prices on "Man and Impact in the Americas")





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