Race for Exploration: Somewhat Historical

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AngrySwan
Posts: 435
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:21 pm

RE: History of NASA in game

Post by AngrySwan »

Period 3, 1963 - 1966. Gemini program as well as final decision on how to go to the Moon. Since the funds are limited and doing both Advanced Gemini and Apollo on time are not possible, and since the decision making is ''somewhat historical'', Advanced Gemini is scrubbed in favor of even more advanced Apollo. In game you can also do the other way and scrub the lunar part of Apollo or even all of it to go to the Moon faster and cheaper; or you can scrub the lunar part of Apollo and do the orbital part only; or you can go to the Moon in Advanced Gemini and come back in Apollo in 1970s. In GSA mode you can even do Advanced Gemini, then Apollo and then Soviet Moon landing. All that is doable in ùùnot so historical settings.

1963

Season 1 Open Project Gemini.

Season 2 Open Pegasus satellite program.
Open Saturn I booster program.

1964

Season 1 Launch Gemini uncrewed suborbital flight with Titan II booster.
Launch Pegasus satellite regular mission with Saturn I booster.

Season 2 Open Atlas Centaur booster program.
Launch Gemini uncrewed orbital flight with Titan II booster.
Launch Pegasus satellite extended mission with Saturn I booster.

Season 3 Launch Gemini suborbital flight with Titan II booster.
Pegasus satellite extended mission continues.

Season 4 Launch Gemini orbital flight with Titan II booster.
Pegasus satellite extended mission continues.

1965

Season 1 Close Pegasus satellite program.
Close Saturn I booster program.
Open Pioneer Sun orbiter program.
Open Titan-IIIC booster program.
Open Saturn IB booster program. (The first component of Apollo project!)
Launch Gemini orbital rendezvous mission - 2 Gemini capsules with 2 Titan II boosters.

Season 2 Launch Gemini docking mission - Gemini capsule with Titan II booster and Agena target vehicle with Atlas-Agena booster.

Season 3 Open Biosatellite program.
Launch Gemini orbital rendezvous mission with EVA - 2 Gemini capsules with 2 Titan II boosters.
Launch Pioneer Sun orbiter mission - Pioneer Sun orbiter with Atlas-Agena booster.

Season 4 Pioneer Sun orbiter mission continues. No manned launches this season - even Gemini still depends on Mercury Seven group who are in rest after the rendezvous/EVA mission.

1966

Season 1 Open Saturn C3-B booster program (not intended for use; researched to prepare for Saturn V.)
Upgrade of VAB starts. (and so does Apollo program!)
Launch Gemini docking mission with EVA- Gemini capsule with Titan II booster and Agena target vehicle with Atlas-Agena booster.
Launch Biosatellite regular mission.
Pioneer Sun orbiter mission continues.

Season 2 Close Gemini program (but not Titan booster because it was still used after Gemini; Moon is not the only task.)
Open Lunar orbiter program.
Upgrade of VAB continues.
Launch Biosatellite extended mission.
Pioneer Sun orbiter mission continues.

Season 3 Upgrade of VAB continues.
Biosatellite extended mission continues.
Pioneer Sun orbiter mission continues.

Season 4 Open Project Apollo test flights in Earth orbit.
Open Project Apollo.
Upgrade of VAB continues.
Biosatellite extended mission continues.
Pioneer Sun orbiter mission continues.

By the end of the period NASA has 30 scientists, 35 mission controllers and 20 astronauts. The funds are down to 1059.6 and time is running out...
The art of war is simple and esay to understand but fighting a war is hard.
AngrySwan
Posts: 435
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:21 pm

RE: History of NASA in game

Post by AngrySwan »

Apollo program is huge because it also includes long duration flights - but those come after Moon landings. Now NASA will need its 35 controllers to launch 2 manned flights per season, that is the only way not to miss the historical deadline. The next period covers 3 years, 1967 - 1969. Long duration flights in Earth orbit will be done later.

1967

Season 1 Close Pioneer Sun Orbiter program.
Close Biosatellite program.
Close Saturn C3-B booster program.
Open Surveyor Lunar lander program.
Open Saturn V booster program.
Launch Lunar Orbiter with Atlas-Centaur booster.

Season 2 Close Lunar orbiter program.
Open Mariner 5 Venus flyby program.

Season 4 Launch Apollo uncrewed suborbital flight (A) with Saturn I B booster.
Launch uncrewed orbital LEM test flight (B) with Saturn I B booster.

1968

Season 1 Launch Apollo uncrewed orbital flight (A) with Saturn I B booster.
Launch Surveyor lunar lander with Atlas-Centaur booster.

Season 2 Close Surveyor lunar lander program.
Launch Apollo suborbital flight (C) with Saturn I B booster.
Launch Apollo lunar flyby test with Saturn V booster.

Season 3 Launch Apollo orbital flight (C) with Saturn V booster.
Launch Apollo circumlunar flight (C) with Saturn V booster.
Launch Mariner 5 Venus flyby with Atlas-Agena booster.

Season 4 Close Mariner 5 Venus flyby program.
Open Mariner 6 Mars flyby program.
Launch Apollo LEM test in low Eart orbit with EVA (D) - Saturn V booster.
Launch Apollo uncrewed lunar orbital flight (A) with Saturn V booster.

1969

Season 1 Launch Apollo LEM test in high Eart orbit with EVA (E) - Saturn V booster.
Launch Apollo lunar orbital flight (C) with Saturn V booster.

Season 2 Launch Apollo LEM test in lunar orbit (F) with Saturn V booster.
Launch Mariner 6 Mars flyby with Atlas-Agena booster.

Season 3 LUNAR LANDING!!! (G&H) with Saturn V booster.
Mariner 6 Mars flyby mission continues.

Season 4 LUNAR LANDING!!! WITH SURFACE ROVER (J) with Saturn V booster.
Close Mariner 6 program.
Open Orbiting Frog Otolith program.


The Moon landing has been made - within the historical deadline - but the Apollo program is not done yet and exploration of the Solar system has just begun!
The art of war is simple and esay to understand but fighting a war is hard.
xmen1996
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2017 2:38 am
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RE: History of NASA in game

Post by xmen1996 »

I like your post. thank you for infomation
rommel222
Posts: 729
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2015 4:27 pm

RE: History of NASA in game

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings Marechal,
Thanks so much for the your post of NASA history in BASPM missions. Sadly, I am no longer teaching History of Space Exploration using BASPM for computer lab at the college due to financial hard times and an anti-earth science/space science college president. I will retire in another year.
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Once Joey
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:14 am
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RE: History of NASA in game

Post by Once Joey »

Thank You Marechel for all of the background. I haven't run this sim for a few years, thanks for your attention to detail, posting all of the relevant details as I am now hunkered down and ready to roll...
"I am not now, nor have I ever been mechanically inclined."
AngrySwan
Posts: 435
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:21 pm

RE: History of NASA in game

Post by AngrySwan »

After the Moon landings NASA reorganizes. Scientists now focus on probes and mission controllers are rearranged in groups 15+(4x5) to launch 1 manned flightand up to 4 probes per season.

Priorities for the next period are long duration manned orbital flights and probes to other planets.

It takes 2.5 years to finalize the Apollo program.


1970

Season 1
Launch Apollo orbital flight, duration 1, Saturn IB booster (C).
Launch Orbiting Frog Otolith regular mission, Atlas-Agena booster.

Open Mariner 9 Mars Orbiter program.

Season 2
Launch Apollo orbital flight with EVA, duration 1, Saturn IB booster (C).
Launch Orbiting Frog Otolith extended mission, Atlas-Agena booster.


Season 3
Launch Apollo orbitall flight, duration 2, Saturn IB booster (C).
Orbital Frog Otolith extended mission continues.
Open Pioneer 10 Jupiter flyby program.
Open Pioneer 11 Jupiter flyby program.
Open Mariner 10 Mercury flyby program.
Open Titan IIIE-Centaur program.
Upgrade of HQ starts.

Season 4
Launch Apollo orbital flight with EVA, duration 2, Saturn IB booster (C).
Orbiting Frog Otolith extended mission continues.
Upgrade of HQ continues.

1971

Season 1
Launch Apollo orbital flight, duration 3, Saturn IB booster (C).
Close Orbiting Frog Otolith program.
Open Viking Mars Orbiter and Lander program.
Upgrade of HQ starts.
Upgrade of astronaut building starts.

Season 2
Launch Apollo orbital flight with EVA, duration 3, Saturn IB booster (C).
Launch Mariner 9 Mars Orbiter, Atlas-Centaur booster.
Launch Mariner 10 Mercury Flyby, Atlas-Centaur booster.
Launch Pioneer 10 Jupiter Flyby, Atlas-Centaur booster.
Launch Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby, Atlas-Centaur booster.

Upgrade of HQ continues.
Upgrade of astronaut building continues.

This ''Great Launch'' is as important as the Moon landings, demonstrating the new capacity of the Agency. But it also is the beginning of end ot the ''heroic period'' in NASA history. Not that astronauts are going to leave the orbit, it just has become a routine.

Season 3
Launch Apollo orbital flight, duration 4, Saturn IB booster (C).
Launch Mariner 9 Mars Orbiter, Atlas-Centaur booster.
Launch Mariner 10 Mercury Flyby, Atlas-Centaur booster.
Launch Pioneer 10 Jupiter Flyby, Atlas-Centaur booster.
Launch Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby, Atlas-Centaur booster.
Upgrade of HQ continues.
Upgrade of astronaut building continues.

Season 4
Launch Apollo orbital flight with EVA, duration 4, Saturn IB booster (C).
Mariner 9 Mars Orbiter program continues.
Pioneer 10 Jupiter Flyby program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.
Close Mariner 10 Mercury Flyby program.

1972

Season 1
Launch Apollo orbital flight with orbital rendezvous, 2 Apollo spacecraft with 2 Saturn IB boosters.
Pioneer 10 Jupiter Flyby program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.
Close Mariner 9 Mars Orbiter program.
Open Pioneer Venus Orbiter program.
Open Pioneer Venus Multiprobe program.
The number of astronauts reaches 30.

Season 2
Launch Apollo orbital flight with docking, Apollo spacecraft with Saturn IB booster and Agena targeting vehicle with Atlas-Agena booster.
Pioneer 10 Jupiter Flyby program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.

Orbital flights have been completed. The end of the ''heroic period''. Exploration of gas giants and robotic landings on Venus and Mars is the next step and after that the Agency gradually switches over to other missions that are not a part of this story.
The art of war is simple and esay to understand but fighting a war is hard.
AngrySwan
Posts: 435
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:21 pm

RE: History of NASA in game

Post by AngrySwan »

In next 4 years the objectives are Venus and Mars landings and exploration of gas giants. Only a few launches relevant to this story.

1972

Season 3
Pioneer 10 Jupiter Flyby program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.

Season 4
Launch Viking 1 Mars Orbiter and Lander with Titan III E-Centaur booster.
Pioneer 10 flies by Jupiter.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.

1973

Season 1
Viking 1 Mars Orbiter and Lander program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.
Close Pioneer 10 Jupiter Flyby program.
Close Project Apollo.

Season 2
Viking 1 Mars Orbiter and Lander program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.

Season 3
Launch Pioneer Venus Orbiter with Atlas-Centaur Booster.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.
Close Viking 1 Mars Orbiter and Lander program.

Season 4
Launch Pioneer Venus Multiprobe with Atlas-Centaur Booster.
Pioneer Venus Orbiter program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.
Close Viking 1 Mars Orbiter and Lander program.

1974

Season 1
Pioneer Venus Orbiter program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.
Close Pioneer Venus Multiprobe program.
Close Saturn V program.

Season 2
Pioneer Venus Orbiter program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.

Season 3
Pioneer Venus Orbiter program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.

Season 4
Pioneer Venus Orbiter program continues.
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.

1975

Season 1
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.
Close Pioneer Venus Orbiter program.

Season 2
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.

Season 3
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.

Season 4
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.

1976

Season 1
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program continues.
Close Apollo orbital flights program.(Somewhere between the Apollo docking and this event there was the Soyuz-Apollo docking flight...)

Season 2
Pioneer 11 flies by Saturn and this is the last achievement of this story.

Season 3
Pioneer 11 Saturn Flyby program closed. Something new, that is no longer a part of this story, begins.
The art of war is simple and esay to understand but fighting a war is hard.
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