What if~The Soviets landed on the Moon first?

Let's talk about a race, a special kind of race. This race is long and winding, and the finish line is our very own Moon. Back in the 1960's, the United States and the Soviet Union was in that race to The Moon. As we know already that in our reality, the USA wins this race when they sent to Astronaughts to the Moon.

But what if in an alternate scenario where the Soviet Union beats the USA to the Moon? But first (and as always some real history) Just scroll down to the "What if?" segment if you just want to read the Alternate scenario.

## Real History

Shortly after the fall of Nazi Germany in May of 1945, both the Americans and the Russians were impressed with the Nazi technology, especially when it came to their rockets.

With this technology, both sides invested into their very own rocket designs. But it was German scientists that were already living in America is why the USA came out stronger than the Soviets in rocket technology.

But, America received a surprise from the Soviets in 1957, when the Soviets launched their famous satellite: "Sputnik". This left the USA scared nutless because of it, and this caused the "Sputnik Crisis".

Before Sputnik, the USA didn't think highly of the Soviets when it came to technology as the Americans thought of the Soviets as backwards and primitive. However, Sputnik changed all that.

After the Sputnik crisis, the USA quickly studied and brushed on everything they knew about Astrophysics and even try to show that the USA is much better than the USSR when it comes to Space Technology, and this gave rise to the "National Aeronautics and Space Administration" (or NASA)

Then, in the 1960's President John Fitzgerald Kennedy has promised to the nation that the USA will conduct more space missions and even a mission to the Moon by the end of the decade.

Eventhough Kennedy would not live to see the day, but the Americans would meet the objective set by him. On July in 1969 NASA has sent 2 Astronauts: Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr*.* to the Moon, they conduct the mission, plant the US flag and made their way back home, all in just a few days.

But even after America's success in the Space Race, NASA's Apollo project began to be seen as too expensive and effectively abandoned by the American government.

When this became apparent in the 1970's, both the Americans and the Soviets wanted to do something that they felt should've been done a long time ago: end the space race. So, NASA as well as the Soviet Space program decided to do a conjoint mission in space to bring the 2 space programs together. The space race was over and a new era of space cooperation had begun.

With this, President Nixon would cut the budget of NASA which led to the creation of the Space Shuttle and even more Space exploration tools and research.

## What if?

Now for everybody's favorite question. What if the Soviets landed on the Moon first, how would the USA take it, and how would it effect it's space program?

### Factors

Now, it is unlikely that this alternate scenario would happen as several factors need to take place in order for it to actually happen.

**Factor 1: Soviet Cooperation**

Soviet Scientists would have to work together in order to reach their goals. In our reality, they actually worked against each other in order to improve Soviet rocket technology and try to reach their goals to reach the Moon.

**Factor 2: America suffers a series of failures**

The United States would have to suffer a series of setbacks in their own space program. In our reality, they did suffer setbacks (the Apollo 1 disaster comes into mind), but this didn't stop the USA as they continued to press on. In this alternate reality however, these setbacks have cost the USA and NASA millions of dollars which causes the Moon program to stumble.

**Factor 3: The Soviets must be first to construct a big enough rocket**

Both sides invested in rocket technology, but as stated before the USA had German rocket scientists who defected from Germany and helped the USA with their rocket program. So, they were way ahead of the Soviets in Rocket manufacturing. The picture above is the now legendary "Saturn 5", which by the 1960's was the only reason why the USA reached the Moon.

### The Scenario

It is the early 1970's, and due to a series of setbacks by NASA, the USA was unable to meet the goals set by Kennedy. With America in a demotivated state, the Soviets take the advantage and increase the funding of their own space program.

They have built their own huge rocket called the N1 (which was a failure in our reality).

Now, the Soviets have a fully functional Moon project, and for the mission they have chosen Cosmonaught "Aleksey Leonov" (in our reality he was the first man in space to walk in space for a full 10 minutes, and was also the most likely candidate for a possible Soviet Moon mission)

The N1 launches and heads towards the Moon.

Leonov would land on the Moon from the Soyouz module and conduct the mission, place the USSR flag on the Moon, snap pictures, take rock samples, and fly back to the Soyouz.

Even if the Soviets reached the Moon first, this doesn't mean the mission would be a success.

For the sake if this scenario, let's say the mission was a success, and with it the Soviets would immediately boast about this great accomplishment. This would also leave the USA in some disgrace as they tried to beat the Soviets, but failed.

This would also infuriate the American public as their government has failed against the Soviets.

There's also a question on what the US government would do with NASA, but one thing is for sure is that Nixon would more than likely not cut NASA's budget, and the Space Shuttle would never be created.

### But wait one minute

But because the Soviets got to the Moon first, doesn't mean that the American can't make it to the Moon at all.

NASA is still functional and still focuses on their Moon program. But it'll take to about 1980's when they can reach the Moon, and even brag about it to their own accomplishment to the decaying Soviet Union and eventually become the leader in Space exploration even long after the fall of the USSR in 1991.

That is all for today, but don't forget to check out my other pages as well as my [Movies] and [Games] wikis. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.